how to write a book launch speech

Preparing Your Book Launch Speech: Examples, Tips, And What You Should Say!

Are you an author who is preparing to launch your new book? If so, you may be wondering what you should say during your book launch speech. How long should it be? What are the key points that you need to cover?

In this article, we will provide examples of what you can say at your book launch, as well as tips on how to deliver a successful speech.

By following these tips and using our examples, you can create a powerful and memorable book launch speech that will help introduce your new book to the world!

What Do You Say at A Book Launch?

Some things you may want to cover at your book launch include:

You might also talk about any interesting tidbits you uncovered while researching or writing the book . If you have any author friends or colleagues who would be willing to join you on stage for a panel discussion or Q&A session, that could be a lot of fun too.

The Writing Process, and Any Challenges You Faced While Writing

How do you introduce a book launch.

It is always a good idea to start by expressing your gratitude to the people who have come to support you and who have helped make the book possible (if any). You can thank your family, friends, and anyone else who has helped you along the way.

If you have any special connections to the book, such as personal experiences that informed your writing, it would be nice if you have summarised this as a story that you can tell the audience.

You can end your speech by once again expressing your gratitude to everyone who has come out and showing excitement for the book launch party . Thank everyone for their time and let them know how much you appreciate their support.

How Long Should A Book Launch Speech Be?

A book launch speech should be around 10-15 minutes long. This gives you enough time to cover the key points without boring your audience.

Book Launch Speech Example

Thank you all for coming! This is a very special day for me. I want to start by thanking my friends and family who have supported me throughout this process. Your encouragement has meant the world to me. Next, I want to talk about the book itself. I wrote this book because I believe that everyone has a story to tell, and I wanted to share mine with the world.

How to Make Your Book Launch Speech Stand Out: 4 Tips

3. Make it inspiring. Share why you wrote the book and what you hope readers will take away from it.

What Not To Say In Your Book Launch Speech...

About the author, arielle phoenix, related posts, do authors make money from libraries, when to build an author website: what does an author website need, what is freebooksy for authors everything you need to know, how to do a virtual book launch: step by step guide.

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•         - Digital Press Kit
•         - What people are saying …
•                 - Cover Art
•                 - Interior Art
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•         - Other Books by Carma
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•         - Individual Speaker Coaching
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•                 - Video Marketing Super Pack
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•                 - Public Speaking Superhero’s Journey
•                 - Training & Mastermind Program
•         - Boost Your Self-Confidence 7-Day Challenge
•         - Speaking Palooza! 2019
•         - Podcast
•         - Recommended Reading
•         - For Book Clubs

How to write a speech for a book launch

Is a speech given at a book launch different than other kinds of speeches?

Yes … and no.

Like with all speeches, you need to consider the purpose of your presentation and the action you want your audience to take, as well as who your audience is.

The one thing that can set a presentation that launches a book apart from other speeches is that it might simply be a sample reading from the book.

I go into more detail about how to write a speech for a book launch in this answer to the question, “How do I write a speech for a book launch?” on Quora.

Can you do me a favor? If you liked my answer on Quora, would you upvote it? This would really help me out.

Basic Considerations for a Book Launch Speech

• Is there a purpose to your book launch beyond selling copies of your book? What does your speech need to include in order to encourage that action?
• What kind of book are you launching? Your book’s topic, genre, and category affects the kinds of presentations that would be most appropriate.
• What kinds of people will this book and book launch event attract? Your speech needs to speak to them where they are and lead them on a journey to where you want them to be. Knowing who they are will help you craft the right message in the right way.
• What kind of speech will be most appropriate? There are three common types of speeches authors give at book launches: A sample reading from the book, a workshop based on the book’s content, or a background story about the book and the author. Choose wisely based on your answers to the above questions.

Once you have your answers to these questions, it is a simple matter of developing the speech itself. These previous posts can help you organize and structure a strong presentation.

• Is there a formula for a great talk? [Video] by Davide DiGiorgio
• How to Structure a Presentation [Video] by Patricia Fripp
• Structuring Your Presentation: Your Roadmap to a Successful Speech [Post]
• The Power of Organization [Post]

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About the author

Carma Spence, is author of Public Speaking Super Powers. She is fiercely committed to guiding women to Owning their Superpowers and turning their knowledge and interests into a profitable business. She is masterful at helping her clients see what is possible for them and supporting them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, releasing the Mind Goblins of self-doubt, self-sabotage and second-guessing that keep them stuck.

With 20+ years experience in marketing communications and public relations, natural intuitive skills and certification in using some of the most effective transformational coaching tools available, Carma’s mission and commitment is to unleash the inner power every woman entrepreneur possesses so they can boldly go out into the world, transforming the fabric of people’s lives in meaningful and positive ways.

You can find her on Facebook , Twitter , Google+ and LinkedIn . Her website is CarmaSpence.com .

Launch Speech

Launch speech generator.

When you would be having a new product or book, you might think of having a launching event for that in order to make your product or book be known to the public and this also a way of advertising your product or book. Such event calls for a launch speech. A launch speech is necessary in order for you to impart an information to your audience or to the attendees of your event so that they can be aware of what your product or book is all about and all of your struggles and joys as you created it. If it is your first time to write for your launching speech or that you have had a difficulty of making and delivering one before, this article gives you thirteen examples of launching speeches, contains tips in delivering your launch speech and points you should keep in mind when writing one.

5 Important Points on Writing Your Launch Speech

Writing launching speeches might give you the overwhelming feeling since you do not get to write a speech every day or even at least once a month since launching events do not happen on a daily and usual basis. It sometimes takes many years to write a book and years to conceptualize and create a product. Writing a launch speech is not really that usual to make. Here are five important things you should keep in mind when you would be writing about what could be your first launch speech to date.

Point # 1: Your Intention of Having a Launch Speech

Remember that you are writing a launch speech, so definitely your intention is to share to your audience about what you are launching or for what reason you are launching for and for what purpose should your audience know about it. Your intention could be simply advertising your product and make it known to the people you have invited in the launch. How are you going to write your speech outline in order to achieve that intention? If you simply intend to make your audience feel something towards the book and what your book is all about, then how are you going to appeal to their emotions?

Point # 2: Know and Give Your Audience What it Wants

Your audience does not need any other unnecessary things from you as you deliver your launch speech. They do not anymore need a powerpoint presentation speech about your product or book; they just need two simple things from you: a clear path and a destination. You have to make it clear to them the path in which your speech is going to pass through and they would also want to know what is the purpose of your speech. Unless your audience is a pack of adventure seekers, who wants to go on a lengthy road trip without knowing where exactly the destination is, right? You do not have to write in a way that you would sound mysterious and intriguing to your audience in order to make them feel something because it can only do nothing but confuse them and it results to their divided attention.

Point # 3: Keeping Your Speech Simple and Direct to the Point

Your audience does not have every time in the world to listen to you as you deliver your launch speech. Your speech does not have to belong even if you’re adding information about your product or book. Just have at least three points that can also serve as your guideline in writing and below those points, have at least three supporting statements. Just keep your speech simple and direct to the point but at the same time, still memorable to the audience or to the attendees of your event. Remember that not all people possess the capability of remembering the things they heard so make sure that your launch speech is not too short to make your audience feel hanging or too long to bore your audience.

Point # 4: Information About Your Product or Book

Do not forget including an information about your product or book. For a product launching, you can share the specifications or features of your product. Even if it could be already written in the packaging of your product , you might want to share some information about it as well since there are some people who are lazy to read. For a novel launching, you can always share something about it without having to spoil your potential readers. You can just give an overview, your inspiration for writing it, the character and events that are based on real-life events, and you can also share which character of your book you can relate to. Just make sure that you do not overload your launch speech with too much information as this can bore your audience. You can alternate information and personal and relatable experiences in your launch speech so that your audience will give all their attention to you.

Point # 5: Your Speech Structure

Notice that there are some speakers who deliver a speech and would pause to make way and space for their audience’s reactions and applause? For some, it’s an impromptu and also for some, it is actually planned especially if you know that your speech is going to garner some reaction like when you would delivering a joke or sharing embarrassing moments in your journey as you reach for your life goals .

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Tips on Delivering a Launch Speech

Your launch speech could be about your book launch, product launch, or any kind of event that you will be launching something. Whatever purpose your launching event is, you might need these tips in delivering your launch speech.

1. Connect with your audience.

This is perhaps the most important thing you should do in whatever kind of speech you should deliver to your audience. One way of connecting to your audience is to tell real stories as you pave your path in achieving, perhaps, one of your smart goals which are to launch your own product or to launch your very first novel. Even if your audience has varying goals in life, they might just relate to you since they might currently be experiencing setbacks and struggles as they are listening to your speech. You can also connect with your audience by giving them short inspirational talk that will motivate them to pursue whatever dreams they are trying to reach and achieve.

In terms of a book launch, you could connect with your audience by telling them the story of how the book came to be – what motivated you to write it, do you remember the moment you decided to write it, what brought you to this moment in time, your background, etc. Show your personality and your audience will be engaged and connect with you.

2. Be memorable.

There are many simple ways on how to be a memorable speaker. You can use quotes and funny anecdotes that are still related to your product or book or the reason why you are holding a launching event. You can also be memorable if you share stories about your journey before reaching to where you are now as a means of making your launching event or your product or book memorable to the people you have invited in you launching event. However, do not stray away from your true and authentic self. The tendency about trying to become memorable in your speech is that you would make up stories in order to be memorable– do not stray towards this path as this will keep you away from your real and authentic self. Do not try to impress people and lure them with your sappy, made-up stories just so the will buy and e interested in your book or product.

3. Use appropriate language.

The use of appropriate language could also mean not using jargons about your product or book because not every people in the audience that you have invited can understand it. Do not also use profane words as there are still some people who are not yet open to hearing such kind of words. Remember that you are delivering your launch speech to the audience so make sure that you make the wording of you launch speech appropriate and suitable for them to listen to.

4. Express your gratitude.

Always thank the people that helped you on your journey as you pave your path towards reaching your career goals . Do not just give thanks to the default groups people, like your family, friends, and colleagues, express gratitude to those people who unknowingly helped and inspired you as you create your product or your book. However, do not dwell much on thanking and naming a lot of people as this can take time and every speech always has a time limit.

5. Say something about your product or book.

Launching events are for the product or book that you are launching. Failing to add some information about your product or book would defeat the purpose of the launching event since it is in launching events that you would be able to extensively tell something about your product or book. It is also suggested to narrate your journey in creating your product or in writing your book. This will inspire the people in your audience to continue whatever they are pursuing in life.

For example, you are launching a book, you can give an overview of what it is about, what was your inspiration as you wrote it, and also narrate the struggles, the setbacks, and the joy as you wrote your book. Another example is when you were creating your product, you can narrate the funny and moments as you try to conceptualize and finally creating your product. These are the kinds of stories people would love to hear especially in launching events so make sure to include them as you deliver your launch speech.

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Ebooks, Publishing, and Everything in Between

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Successful Book Launch Tips and Tricks for First-Time Authors

• on Oct 26, 2023
• in Ebook Marketing and Sales
• Last update: August 23rd, 2024

The wait is over and your book is about to get published, congratulations! Now it’s time to create a buzz and let everyone know about this great event; but how exactly can you do that? You need to first create a successful book launch strategy to ensure your book gets the exposure it deserves.

To achieve this, you need to plan carefully and understand what goes into the book-launching process. And that’s exactly what we will explore in this article.

What Is a Book Launch?

The term “book launch” refers to an event, or multiple ones, that celebrates the release of a book as part of its marketing plan. When done right, this launch can help create a buzz and increase exposure for both you as an author and your book. In turn, this can lead to increased sales and more publishing opportunities.

We will explore what the book launch process includes in detail throughout this article, but here is a glimpse at some of the things accomplished authors have done to ensure a successful launch:

• Online book promotions and social media campaigns 
• Book tours (including book signing and readings)
• Book giveaways
• Email marketing campaigns
• Collaboration with other authors and bloggers

Why Should You Have a Book Launch?

While planning a book launch might seem daunting to some authors, it can have huge benefits that might not be achieved otherwise. Here are some of the things that it can help you with:

• Boost sales: A successful book launch can hugely increase initial sales. The buzz you create around your book can attract more readers and thus help you generate more revenue. 
• Connect with your audience: Holding a book launch event is a great way to meet your audience and strengthen your relationship with them. Those who have come across your work online can feel better connected when they meet you in person. This way, you can address any questions they might have and get some constructive feedback from them.
• Meet potential readers: Not only is the book launch an opportunity to meet your audience, but it is also a chance to meet potential readers and make them aware of your new book and your writing in general. Those readers could then spread the word about your work, thus attracting a larger audience.
• Attract media attention: The exposure you want to get from your book launch shouldn’t be limited to potential and current readers; you also want to attract media attention so you can get book reviews and interviews, and maybe even get featured in magazines, blogs, or podcasts. 
• Build an author following: If you want to expand your fan base and strengthen your author brand , then the book launch could be a great opportunity to do just that. The key to succeeding in this is to engage with your audience during the launch events and on social media so that they feel more connected to you and your work.

How to Plan a Successful Book Launch

If this is your first book, then you might be overwhelmed with anxiety trying to think of everything you need to do to ensure its success. Well, there is no need to worry; all you need is a detailed plan, and that is what we are going to help you with throughout this section. 

To make things easier for you, we have divided the book launch process into three main phases: pre-launching, the book launch event, and post-launching. We have also prepared a downloadable book launch checklist for you to ensure that you’ve got everything covered.

Book Launch Checklist : Download Now

Preparing for the Launch

This is probably the most important phase of all; here is where all the planning takes place and the success of your launch is determined. And while it might seem a bit too much, it is really simple when you break it down into actionable steps and take care of each of them individually. So let’s go over these steps together.

• Establish an Online Presence

The first thing you need to do before your book launch is make it visible online by creating a special landing page for it . If you have an author website , then you can create a page for your new book there. On this page, you can include a brief book description , the book cover , any testimonies you’ve collected from beta readers or early reviewers, along with all the related information (such as the launch date, publisher, price, etc.).

You can use this page to add an email sign-up form so that readers can subscribe to any upcoming news about your book. To build some excitement, try offering a free sample (maybe a chapter or two) of your book. After the launch, you can link to all the platforms from which your book can be bought.

• Create a Buzz

You need to come up with a detailed book launch marketing plan to help spread the word about your book and attract potential readers. This plan can include many things, such as:

• Social Media: Almost everyone is on social media these days; that’s why it is a good place to start your marketing campaign. Whether it is Facebook , Twitter, TikTok, or any other platform, you want to grow your audience and create anticipation. To achieve this, you’ll need to consistently manage your social media accounts by using relevant hashtags , joining related groups , or utilizing paid ads . The reason why you should start working on your social media campaign early is that it might take some time to see results. Even though these platforms can be highly competitive, if you are persistent enough and know how to advertise right, you’ll be able to reach your target audience and start your book launch process on the right foot.
• Newsletter: If you already have subscribers to your newsletter, then you should make use of it and prepare a number of emails announcing your book launch. Just make sure not to spam your subscribers with repeated versions of the same email; instead, get creative with how you create and design these newsletters. For example, you can send an email with a teaser about your book, then another one giving a brief glimpse into the book and maybe a back story of how it came to life, and a final one announcing the book launch event date and venue.
• Media Outreach: Another way to create a buzz around your book launch is by reaching out to various media outlets. Try contacting magazines, book review websites, YouTubers, bloggers, or other authors who might be interested in giving your book a shout-out. The important thing is to choose media outlets that your target readers are likely following. Email finder tools can help you obtain email addresses for relevant media contacts
• Organize Your Book Launch Team

Before holding the book launch event, you need to rally some troops that would leave positive reviews and get your book online traction. This is what is called the “ book launch team ”. These people could be family members, friends, or some of your established fan base, and their main mission is to write reviews on various websites, including Amazon, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and other social media platforms.

If you don’t have these people, then you need to find readers who would genuinely review your book without being biased. How can you do that? Well, we have written a full guide on how to get book reviews that you can check on our blog. But to make it easier for you, take a look at these pointers:

• Send an advance copy to your most loyal followers.
• Visit book reviewing platforms, such as NetGalley and Edelweiss .
• Contact reviewers of similar titles.
• At the end of your book, include an invitation for your readers to review it.
• Join online book communities and spread the word about your book.
• Make a Book Trailer

This isn’t necessary, of course, but it can help your book stand out from the crowd. In this age of scrolling through stories and reels, creating a short video telling the story of your book can reach a far wider audience. In addition to that, you can use this video on various platforms, including social media, your author website, and your book’s product page. Here’s what you need to cover in this video:

• Tell the story of your book (rather than try to sell it).
• Use a cliffhanger that leaves your target audience hooked.
• Include a CTA (call to action), directing viewers to your book’s landing page or your website, and announcing the launch date.
• Make use of imagery and sound effects to match the tone of your book.
• Write a Press Release for the Book Launch

The reason why you should write a press release is that it might lead to interviews and mentions in magazines, newspapers, or blogs. But for it to have this effect, it should be well-written to grab the attention of potential readers. Here’s how this book launch press release should go:

• Start with your contact information, including name, email address, and website.
• Mention the launch date.
• Write a captivating title–keep it short yet catchy.
• Include one or two paragraphs highlighting the main idea of the book and some information about the author.
• Add a quote from the author (or endorsements from book reviewers if available).
• Attach a high-quality picture of the book cover.
• End with a short author bio.

Planning the Book Launch Event

With good planning, this event can be a great opportunity to leave a good impression on your audience and contribute to the success of your book. So instead of worrying about how you can pull it off, consider the following steps and book launch party ideas that will help you stay organized and guarantee a successful event.

• Pick the Venue

Before choosing a date for your event, you need to first find a suitable venue. This place needs to be quiet (so that your audience can hear your speech), spacious (to accommodate a large number), and accessible so everyone can easily reach it. Here are some of the places that would make a great venue for your book launch party:

• Public libraries
• Coffee shops/restaurants
• Art galleries
• Hotel/community halls 

This is optional, but you can try and find a caterer for your launch party. If you are hosting the event in a coffee shop, for example, you can arrange with them to provide food and drinks for your guests. Otherwise, you can search for caterers that have good reviews but are also within your budget.

• Prepare a Speech

Not everyone at this book launch party will know who you are as an author. That is why you need to prepare a speech that will help you connect better with your audience. And this is how this speech could go:

• Introduce yourself , your work, and the writing process of this book.
• Arrange for someone to interview you; keep it simple and to the point.
• Do some reading from your new book.
• Allow for some Q&A time for the audience. 
• Get Ready for Book Signing

It’s important to be prepared to sign your book during the launch. You need to ensure you have enough copies for the audience. You also might want to work a bit on your people skills; there might be some awkward encounters or sweaty palms. Moreover, try to be prepared with the following:

• Business cards
• A couple of good pens
• Some promo materials (such as pins or bookmarks)
• An assistant (or a friend) to help through the day
• Snacks and water to stay hydrated and energized
• A guest book where your readers can leave their names, email (to send them newsletters), and a small message (optional)
• Run a Public Relations Campaign

Having media coverage during your book launch party can hugely benefit you as an author as well as the sale of your book. But don’t be limited to media outlets only; before your event, try inviting some fellow authors, book reviewers, and bloggers who have a similar audience as yours. 

• Announce Your Book Launch Event

Now that you have prepared for the event, it’s time to use social media and your email list for a creative book launch announcement. Invite everyone you know and encourage your team to share the event with their friends and followers. You might also want to utilize some social media ads to target potential readers and promote this event.

Post-Book Launch Follow-Up

Even though the launch event is now over, marketing your book isn’t. There are a few things you can do to ensure that you stay connected with your readers and attract new ones. So take a look at the following ideas and choose the ones that best fit your needs.

• Express gratitude: Thanking everyone who attended and helped organize the event can help build rapport with your audience. You can do this through a post or a short video on your social media platforms or through a newsletter.
• Continue promoting and engaging: Keep the buzz alive by promoting your book and engaging with your audience. This can be done not only through posting about it, but you can also create giveaways and contests that encourage people to read your book. In addition to that, collaborating with other authors, bloggers, and podcasters can be a great way to reach different audiences.
• Request reviews: Use the mailing list you collected during the event to reach out to people who read your book. Ask them to leave a review on your book page and websites such as Amazon, Goodreads, and maybe even their social media platforms.
• Reach out to book clubs: If you know a book club that is happening near you (or online), try contacting them and offering to participate in discussions about your book. This can lead to some valuable word-of-mouth recommendations, as many readers enjoy interacting directly with the author.
• Analyze and Plan: Last but not least, take a look at what has worked well for you during this launch process and what didn’t. Use this analysis to plan your marketing strategies for your current book as well as your future ones.

Final Thoughts

Your creativity and writing skills brought your book to life, but it is your meticulous planning and strategic effort that will introduce it to readers everywhere. So embrace the excitement and plan carefully, but don’t forget that your book’s journey doesn’t end with the launch; this is just the beginning!

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How to Hold a Book Launch (from 10 published authors who have done it before)

In less than 6 weeks I will be launching my book Brilliant Minds: 30 Dyslexic Heroes Who Changed Our World . Although my publisher, Affirm Press has been very supportive, this is pretty much an independent launch since they’re over in Melbourne and I’m here in Perth. It’s like planning a wedding but without the husband or fluffy, white dress.

Perhaps it’s a good thing that a few years ago when I went to a career counsellor to determine which direction my post-motherhood life should take, the two options I was presented with were Writer and Event Planner. It’s all finally coming together!

But considering pre-motherhood I used to work in academic research, I decided the prudent thing to do would be to approach a dozen of my published author friends and ask them about their book launches. I asked for their tips and advice, what they’d do differently, and what they loved the most.

Who pays for your book launch?

Most of the time you will be paying for your own launch. Most of the people I surveyed spent up to a couple of thousand dollars on their launch, a small minority were funded by their publisher or supported by a library and ended up spending less than $100, but they seemed to be the exception, not the rule.

Most publishers rarely contribute financially to book launches – unless you’re a prize winner. It’s not personal, it’s business. Even if you sell 100 books on the night – or 200 books – they’re still not going to break even. So most authors agreed it was best not to think about a book launch in terms of profitability.

“Think of this as a personal party to celebrate. If you’re lucky, you’ll get some sales, but launches are not the best selling vehicle,” says Sasha Wasley, author of Spring Clean for the Peach Queen and A Caravan Like a Canary . This sentiment is echoed by Karen Herbert-Whittle, whose latest book is The Castaways of Harewood Hall : “Treat it as a party. It’s not a sales exercise, but a celebration of your hard work in getting to publication.”

And while most people wouldn’t blink at spending tens of thousands on a wedding, or a big birthday celebration, there seems to be the expectation that writing books makes you money, rather than costing you money (but we know better, don’t we…).

I will leave the final word on money to David Allan-Petale whose country B&S-themed book launch at a heritage town hall for his book Locust Summer was memorable for all the right reasons: “It was my party, and I was happy to serve it up. I wanted to hold a launch party people would talk about for years afterwards, or curse that they didn’t go.” He nailed it.

Time and Location

The majority of the launches were held on a weeknight. Friday and Saturday tend to be the busiest nights of the week when guests are more likely to have conflicting engagements (especially towards the end of the year). Sunday afternoons or evenings and weeknights are seen as more chilled (and probably easier to find a venue).

Some people had their dates chosen for them by their publishers, but there seemed to be a general consensus that the date doesn’t really matter, because people will try and be there to support you if they can, regardless of when it is.

Venues fell into three main categories: a private space in a pub or bar, libraries and bookshops, and other function spaces such as sports clubs, function centres and town halls.

The main things to consider when it comes to the venue are (apart from cost):

• An open space where people can see the stage/festivities
• Room size appropriate to the expected crowd
• Centrality, accessibility and parking
• Facilities – bar, seating, stage, PA

A big part of this decision is if you’re planning to DIY with the catering. Most pubs and sporting clubs have kitchens or caterers onsite who can organise food. All you have to do is pick your favourite platter. The flip side, of course, is that you’re paying extra for the service, they might have a minimum spend and often you aren’t allowed to bring your own food in.

Some of the authors have launched books at libraries and bookshops, which tend to be free. Rebecca Higgie, author of award-winning The History of Mischief was approached by a large library to host her book launch, which was billed as a ‘Words with Wine’ event. She says “The advantage of doing it through a library or bookshop is that they will do their own promotion that will attract local library or bookshop patrons who would otherwise not come to such an event. They come because they like to come to interesting events at their local library or bookshop.”

Other advantages of launching at a library or bookshop are that they tend to take on a fair bit of the organisation for you – arranging ticketing, seating, book sales and (often) decorations. As you’d expect though, libraries and bookshops can be averse to food, so catering is less likely to be an issue. She says that if you are considering a bookshop or library as a venue, it’s best to choose one where you already have a relationship – so start making those connections now.

Food and Drinks at your book launch

There’s no rule saying you have to provide refreshments at your launch, but everyone I surveyed had food and/or drinks at their book launch. Besides, people need something to do while they wait eagerly in line for you to sign their newly purchased books.

Focussing on the writers who organised their own launches, there were two ways of doing the food – either DIY or supplied by the venue.

If you’ve hired a venue that does in-house catering, you’ll be paying a bit more and be restricted to what’s on their menu – but you can assume they will have a range of crowd-pleasing platters, canapes and finger foods; things they know will work. And you won’t have to lift a finger.

Emma Young, whose first novel The Last Bookshop was shortlisted for the inaugural Fogarty Literary Award has done it both ways – having her book launch catered but then doing a DIY for a recent birthday: “Having recently hosted a self-catered 40th birthday party I would not recommend the level of stress that entails. You want to be celebrating with your loved ones and not worrying about the catering, even if you end up just ordering a thousand sandwich platters from Subway. Nothing wrong with that.” 

Grazing tables are hugely popular – and almost anything goes. At Susan Midalia’s recent launch of Miniatures published by Night Parrot Press, the grazing table was a delightful concoction of deli meats, bread and crackers, cheeses and dips, dried fruits and nuts, squares of pizza, fresh fruit and (my favourite) bowls of lollies and chocolates.

If you’re DIY-ing the catering, then chances are you will be calling in favours from friends and family to help. This is what David Allan-Petale did, with a huge spread including sandwich platters, nibbles and cheese, sausage rolls and quiche, all beautifully interspersed with native flowers and fairy lights (he really did hold a launch that people will talk about for years!).

Maria Papas at her launch of Hungerford Award-winning Skimming Stones at a pub in Fremantle supplemented the platters provided by the venue with homecooked dishes made by her family: “I come from a family that always thinks there is never enough food… so my mum made a few extra bits and pieces.”

Regardless of who is doing the catering and organising, it’s important not to take too much on. You have an army of supporters, so call on them. “Let people help so that you’re not stressed and can actually enjoy the evening,” advises Emily Paull, author of Well Behaved Women .

Food should be manageable with fingers, either served on a paper plate or serviette. Anything requiring cutlery is probably a bad idea – the exception being cake.

Almost every launch I have been to over the past two years has had either a large slab cake or cupcakes decorated with the book cover in edible icing or wafers. It’s easier and more affordable than you’d think and provides the ultimate in Instagrammable pictures so your book can live on forever.

How much food do you need? The accepted rule for cocktail parties is between 5 to 8 pieces per person per hour. But this isn’t a cocktail party, and you’re probably paying for it out of your own pocket so you can probably drop the ‘per hour’ from that equation. If your launch is running over a meal time, then expect that your guests will be hungrier than if it’s an afternoon event or starts after dinner. If you’re serving alcoholic drinks, then you will need more food on offer than if it’s just tea and coffee.

Should you serve alcohol? Everyone I surveyed did – either with a cash bar at the venue (guests bought and paid for their own drinks) or by supplying beer, wine or sparkling. As I said before, this isn’t a cocktail party so it’s perfectly acceptable to limit what’s on offer.

Selling Books

It goes without saying that you will be selling books at your launch. If you’ve self-published you will have to organise your own stock, cash floats or an EFTPOS machine. Otherwise, a bookseller will usually be engaged to sell on your behalf. In Perth, we have a number of fabulous indie and franchised bookstores that support local authors, and everyone surveyed was very happy with their booksellers including New Edition, Dymocks and Beaufort Street Books.

Authors sold anywhere between 20 and 150 books on the night of their launch, and most said they easily spent an hour signing books.

Maria Papas said the only thing she would have changed about her launch was “the signing table. I would have loved to walk around and chat with all the people who were there, but I was off in my corner just signing. If I had to sign again. I would place myself more centrally.” She also adds: “Have a piece of paper handy to spell people’s names before you write them into the books. It’s easy to be so nervous you end up forgetting. Also, practice signing your name in something other than your formal signature.”

You will be expected to give a small speech on the night, but the consensus is that 5-10 minutes is sufficient. Everyone also advises that someone else officially launch the book and introduce the writer. Writers tend to be too modest, so find someone who really wants to celebrate you and your book.

“I think it’s good to have someone introduce you and say all the lovely things about your book and your journey that you’re not going to say about yourself. Ask someone who really knows you and your book to speak; a friend might be better than a publisher or an author who may not know as much about you,” suggests Rebecca Higgie.

Whether you ask a family member, a friend or a fellow writer to help launch your book, the rules tend to be the same. Keep it short and sweet. The writer’s speech often has two parts: the origin story and the thank you’s. You might do some readings from your book – especially if it’s flash or short stories – but keep them under 10 minutes and if possible, always be witty and memorable.

As Brooke Dunnell, winner of the Fogarty Literary Award for The Glass House , and planning her own launch for later this year says: “My speech will probably be a hilarious and heartwarming anecdote followed by a long list of thank you’s. Followed by enormous applause for many minutes…”

David Allan-Petale says the speech is actually a story itself: “I think for speeches, tell the story of the book – what it means to you, and why it’s important. Then thank everyone who was involved – but not in a laundry list style. Tell us why it’s good, and what they did. In a way, a writer’s speech is a story too. And have the attitude that this may be the only chance you have (though I’m sure there will be more!) so make it as loud and proud and rage, rage against the dying of the light as much as possible. Oh, and keep it under 5 minutes. Any longer and people’s glasses go dry!”

Laurie Steed, author of You Belong Here reminds us that the speech is a special time to take stock of what is important: “Be proud, now. Look out at the audience before you start your speech, taking in that warmth from the crowd. The book is the gift. Everything else is just a beautiful bonus.”

Ticketing and Marketing

Without exception, all the authors used one of the online ticketing platforms (such as Eventbrite) to ‘sell’ tickets. All of the debut book launches were free, though libraries/bookstores sometimes charge a small fee to attend.

Most authors recommended sending personal invites (either by email, via social media or actual paper invitations) to close friends and family first and then promoting the event publicly on social media or via local writing organisations.

People started promoting their launches anywhere from three weeks to three months out. Attendance numbers varied from 30 to 150 but as Sara Foster says “engagement is more important than numbers.”

If you’re promoting your book on social media, don’t forget the 80/20 rule: 80% of your posts should inform, educate and entertain (ie. be about other people and things) and only 20% should be about you. Don’t be that guy who spams everyone’s feed with self-promotion. If everyone’s blocked you, how are they going to hear about your launch?

“Don’t worry about too many bells and whistles especially if you’re really busy; just go for a lovely simple celebration of you and your work.” Sara Foster.

“Don’t skimp on celebrating this; it’s an investment and you have worked bloody hard for it.” Emma Young.

“Think of ways to make it a unique event; it doesn’t matter what, you just want people to feel invested, appreciated and involved as part of the launch experience.” Laurie Steed.

“See it as a party where you and the people you love can celebrate this remarkable achievement. Have fun! The best launches are the ones that are chill, with lots of mingling, and a party vibe.” Rebecca Higgie.

With thanks to Emma Young, Karen Herbert-Whittle, Sara Foster, Laurie Steed, Maria Papas, Brooke Dunnell, Emily Paull, Sasha Wasley, David Allan-Petale and Rebecca Higgie.

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Published by shannon meyerkort.

Shannon Meyerkort is a Perth-based author and freelance writer. View more posts

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Blog • Book Marketing

Posted on Jul 23, 2020

How to Plan a Successful Book Launch in 6 Easy Steps

About ricardo fayet.

Reedsy co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Ricardo Fayet is one of the world's leading authorities in marketing indie books. He is a regular presenter at several prestigious writers' conferences, where his unique personal style has made him an instantly recognizable figure.

Hitting ‘publish’ on a book you’ve spent months (or years!) writing is a moment you want met with a bang, not a whimper. To that end, if you want people to read your new publication, you need to direct their attention to it. And that’s where planning an effective book launch comes in.

Unless you’re Beyoncé , your pre-launch strategy should focus on making your book discoverable to new readers, as well as letting existing fans know about your latest title. While many authors tiptoe around this kind of book promotion — either because it seems overwhelming or like an endeavor that taints artistic expression — to build a self-publishing career, you’ll need to get comfortable with the more entrepreneurial side of publishing.

We’re here to help you do just that! In this post, we break down the six key components of launching a book. To jump straight to our free book launch checklist, click  here or download it directly below!

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1. Launch your book with a price promotion

In self-publishing lingo, a price promotion is when you discount your book for a short period of time, during which you engage in concentrated marketing activities. There are two main benefits to launching your book with a price promotion:

Attracting new readers. If you’re an indie author just getting your feet wet in the publishing world, chances are you don’t have much of a following yet. Perusing readers are much more likely to take a chance on an unknown author if their book is heavily discounted (or free!).

Discoverability. The primary goal of a launch is to give your book as much visibility as possible while it’s still new. One of the best ways to do this is to land your book on Amazon’s Best Seller list, as this is a heavily populated browsing-reader zone. The more copies of your book you sell, the more Amazon will feature it in its top charts, and the more copies you'll sell, so on and so forth — it’s a cycle you definitely want in on!

Learn more about how to get your book on the Best Seller list in our post on selling ebooks on Amazon.

Launch at free to score reviews

As we mentioned earlier, book reviews are an incredibly powerful sales tool, as they provide prospective readers with social proof that other people are reading (and, ideally, enjoying) your book. Making your book completely free for a few days gives readers a no-risk opportunity to “buy” your book — and maximizes your chances of receiving those precious reviews.

Note that if you’re launching your book on Amazon, only those enrolled in Kindle Direct Publishing Select can set a book’s price to free. (However, Written Word Media does have a ‘price matching’ workaround that has allowed authors not enrolled in KDP Select to set up a free discount). Finally, check out our post  on how to get book reviews for even more tips, or our directory of book review blogs!

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Launch at $0.99 to get ranked in Amazon’s paid store

When it comes to attracting as many new readers as possible, a free book will always be superior to a $0.99 book. However, you may wish to avoid the free strategy in hopes of earning at least some royalties (35% on Amazon for books priced under $1.99). In addition, on Amazon, any sales you make while your book is listed as free will only boost your ranking in the free store. So you may decide to run a $0.99 promotion in order to ensure that when your free promotion ends, you don’t lose your ranking.

Launch at $2.99 for maximum royalties

While there is something to be said about the psychology of “free” or a price that begins with “0,” $2.99 is still a respectable launch price. The main boon of launching at $2.99 is that it’s the lowest price with which authors begin to earn 70% royalties from Amazon.

Bottom line: Run a free or $0.99 promotion for new titles in order to find an early audience and garner reviews. Run a $2.99 promotion on existing titles that already have reviews to boost your revenue. But before you commit to anything, make sure you're fully versed  in Amazon self-publishing royalty rates.

Free course: Price Promotions

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2. Have reader reviews ready to go

There’s nothing quite like word of mouth when it comes to promoting a product. Sure, an ad (more on those later) can tell readers why you think your book is for them. But reviews from other readers will be far more effective in convincing prospective customers that’s the case.

With your competitive price helping drive traffic to your page, furnishing your page with reader reviews is the way to seal the deal! In terms of numbers, having about 20 reviews is the sweet spot that will achieve a strong effect of social validation, while not giving the impression you went out and bought hordes of reviews.

So how do you go about securing this pre-launch feedback? Here are a few groups to reach out to:

• Existing followers (user reviews). If you’ve got a social media following, an established author website or blog, or a mailing list set up, offer your existing followers free advanced reader copies (ARCs) in exchange for early reviews. Fans of your genre are your ideal reviewers — if they buy your book on Amazon, their purchasing history will train its algorithms and help your book turn up in the also-boughts of similar titles.
• Book review blogs (editorial reviews). You can find a whole directory of book review blogs here , many of which accept ARCs.
• Reedsy Discovery (editorial reviews). For $50, submit your book to Reedsy Discovery and get matched up with a book reviewer in your genre. You'll not only receive the opportunity to receive feedback from an experienced reviewer, but you'll also get your own personalized book page, like this one .
• Friends and family. Amazon heavily discourages sock-puppet reviews but as long as your friends and family have actually bought your book (and you're struggling to get other user reviews) there's little harm in getting some of them to leave an honest write-up.

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3. Announce your book launch

If a book is published and no one knows about it, does it make a sale?

Well, no. While this might feel like a trite, obvious tip, it’s a vital one: you need to use any and all platforms at your disposal to tell the world about your book launch.

Here are a few book launch ideas to help you do just that.

Design eye-catching social media posts

Use a free design tool like Canva or consider hiring a professional who can help create social media posts that show off your new book! These posts should use eye-catching images of your book, indicate its genre, and mention the important details — like price (especially if you’re running a price promotion!) and where readers can purchase your book.

To see how it’s done, take a look at how author Howard of Warwick features his discounted price and signals to readers that fans of Terry Pratchett will enjoy his historical novel.

Run a giveaway for your subscribers

One of the best things an aspiring career-author can do is develop a mailing list. By setting up a newsletter for fans to enjoy, you’re also building a list of people you can easily reach out to any time you launch a new book. Establishing a mailing list is a lot easier than it sounds, and you can get started right away by enrolling in our free course on setting up your mailing list.

And if you’ve already got a group of subscribers, go a step further than just announcing your launch — run a giveaway , choosing a few select winners to receive free, inscribed copies of your book!

Alternatively, you can offer subscribers a sneak peek of your new title and let them read the first chapter for free — enticing them to click your retail links to learn more (and pre-order).

Cross-promote your launch with other authors

While the world of traditional publishing may seem shrouded in ivy-gated mystery, the self-publishing community is accessible to all. Look around and you’ll find tons of writing communities  where you can connect with fellow authors on their own self-pub journeys.

And besides the moral support these groups provide, joining forces with an author in the same genre to cross-promote each other is a great way to create buzz for your book! You might simply announce their new release to your own mailing list, while they feature your book to their subscribers.

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How to Self-Publish a Book

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Or you can be a little more adventurous and take over each other’s social media accounts, giving followers a ‘day-in-the-life’ taste of a new author they might just love — while letting them know about your newly published book, of course. You can also host a Facebook Live session, in which you interview each other about your new books — like Jojo Moyes and Sophie Kinsella . The options are endless!

Host a book launch party at a local bookstore

Alright, so this one might not be possible right now . But once the pandemic passes, you should remember not to overlook the power of “local.” As a self-published author, you are now a local business owner, and fellow local bookstores may be willing to partner with you to host a book launch party; it’s a way to mutually drum up business for your separate endeavors, similar to the symbiotic relationship of two cross-promoting authors.

When the time comes, you can invite family and friends, post flyers around your neighborhood and on local community boards, and reach out to local news outlets to see if they’d be willing to feature you. At each actual event, you can give a reading and host a Q&A session. You can even invite other local authors to present brief readings from their own books, and maybe they’ll have you at their next event, too — more symbiosis!

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4. Schedule features on book promotion sites

In order to gain readers on Amazon, you need to climb the rankings. But how do you climb the rankings without Amazon customers? You can rely on a strong social media presence or a growing mailing list. Or you can turn to book promotion sites that will feature your discounted book on their blog or in their newsletters to readers.

Apply for a Bookbub Featured Deal

Bookbub is by far the most effective book promo site — and scoring a Bookbub Featured Deal is considered the jackpot for indie authors. However, even if you meet their minimum requirements , it’s incredibly competitive to score a featured spot.

You can increase your chances by submitting as often as possible. You might not get featured during your actual launch, but there’s never a bad time to be featured by Bookbub. To that end, we’ve created this free Bookbub calendar which will remind you when it’s time to submit again.

Boost traffic to your book by “promo stacking”

Luckily, there are a number of other reputable promo services you can turn to, and our directory of book promotion sites is a great place to start. And while they may not have the same reach as Bookbub, you can achieve a similar boost in traffic to your newly launched book by “promo stacking” — or scheduling a few promos at once for each day that your book is discounted.

Here are a few of our top recommended book promotion sites to start with (in addition to Bookbub):

• Robin Reads — title must be free or $0.99; they have 194,000 readers.
• Freebooksy — title must be free; they have 490,000 readers.
• Kindle Nation Daily — they have multiple price options and 288,000 readers.
• The Fussy Librarian — title must be $5.99 or less; they have 119,000 readers.
• Bargain Booksy — title must be between $0.99-$5; they have 305,000 readers.

5. Use ads to promote your book launch

Another surefire way to reach new readers? Leverage the three main advertising platforms that have proven successful for authors selling their books:

Facebook ads

Facebook ads are a great tool for advertisers — much for the same reasons you may feel skeptical about it as a user. It collects data about where you live, your hobbies, interest, age, where you went to school, what event you attend, so on and so forth.

All of this information can be extremely useful to you when creating ads. If you’re launching a historical romance set in Scotland, you can specifically advertise to fans of Outlander , or readers in Scotland who enjoy romance movies. This way, you get the best bang for your buck: you can ensure the ads you’re paying for are being seen by the people most likely to actually buy your book.

Facebook Ads for Authors

In 10 days, learn to boost book sales with targeted Facebook ads.

Bookbub ads

As with Facebook, Bookbub ads are shown to readers based on interests — in this case, the authors or genres they follow on Bookbub, as well as the deals or ads they’ve previously interacted with. So when setting up your ads, you want to think about which other genres or authors are relevant to your book.

Here’s the caveat: you don’t want to pick huge, household names, as they may have many casual followers who don’t necessarily read extensively in their genre, or who simply aren’t willing to engage with lesser-known authors.

As digital book marketing expert David Gaughran puts it, “I usually get best results with authors who have between 2,000 and 20,000 followers, with 5,000-10,000 often being a particular sweet spot. You can find out how many Followers any author has on the reader side of the BookBub website.”

Formerly known as Amazon Marketing Services, Amazon's advertising platform has gone through a number of updates and iterations and is still fairly new when compared to platforms like Facebook or Bookbub. Still, Amazon Advertising has the significant advantage of presenting your ads to people on, well, Amazon. Having your book marketed “in-store” means that you’ll reach readers as they hunt for their next read . Not while scrolling through a feed full of cute animal videos 😊

And there’s more: Amazon only charges you when people click on your ad, not just for impressions. Meaning thousands of people may look at your ad, but the cost of the ad will be purely based on how many people click to learn more about your book.

Free course: Amazon Advertising

Learn how to boost sales through Amazon ads!

6. Get all your ducks in a row with our book launch checklist

At Reedsy, we’ve had a hand in the production of thousands of books — many of which have gone on to become very successful . We’ve learned all about the best practices of launching a book, which we’ve shared here with you today.

To doubly ensure you have a smooth launch process, we’ve condensed the above tips — and many others, from editing to design to marketing — in this book launch checklist. Enter your email below to download it for free!

And there you have it! With competitive pricing, ads and featured spots on book promo sites, and your ideas for announcing your book launch to your community all set, you’re ready to not only publish your book, but to gain a host of new readers too.

Continue reading

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How to Run a Successful Book Launch: 5 Tips to Skyrocket Your Sales

• The Speaker Lab
• June 13, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever wonder why some books fly off the shelves while others collect dust? A lot of it boils down to a killer book launch . Imagine, your manuscript is finally polished—your heart and soul bound in paper—and now you just have to get it out to readers. Think about the last party you threw — success wasn’t just about showing up. You needed an action plan.

Lucky for you, an action plan is exactly what we’re here to help you with. Together will explore the benefits of a book launch, as well as practical tips like how to find a venue and advertise. With strategies like ours to guide you, we’ll make sure every seat is filled when the curtain rises on your launch day. Ready for those backstage secrets?

Creating Your Book Launch Strategy

Every author dreams of a successful book launch. It’s your moment in the spotlight, where your words leap off the page and into readers’ lives. But success doesn’t happen by chance; it requires a well-crafted launch plan.

Setting the Stage Early

The secret sauce to any successful book launch is planning—think long game here. By setting things in motion early, you make sure every detail has its place on the big day. Start by building hype months before your readers can even get their hands on your masterpiece. We’re talking at least two solid months of prep because anything less might leave you scrambling instead of celebrating on launch day.

A good first step? Build an email list full of people eager to hear from you. These are folks who’ll help create buzz when they share social updates about your new release or leave those coveted early reviews that can propel books higher on bestseller lists.

Let’s not forget about lead magnets either. They’re like little breadcrumbs leading potential readers down the path straight to your Amazon author page—or better yet, directly to purchase copies at your local cafe’s book signing event.

Choosing the Perfect Date and Venue

When picking a date for your book launch, think strategically. Consider choosing something that works for your schedule and aligns with key dates related to your content (a main character’s birthday, perhaps?). Generally speaking, holidays are no-go zones unless you want Santa stealing your thunder.

As for venues, think beyond traditional settings if it suits your style. Online platforms offer global reach while cozy spots like local cafes promise intimate gatherings among close friends and fervent fans alike.

Building an Online Presence

The stage isn’t only physical—it’s digital too. Social media has changed how we market books forever, and should not be underestimated when it comes to promotion. Nowadays, authors are brand ambassadors capable of reaching millions with just one clever post shared across their platform(s).

Utilizing social media platforms effectively can be a game-changer for your book launch. Create buzz online well ahead of launch week using social media wisely—it’s free advertising after all. Share behind-the-scenes moments of the writing process or teasers from chapters, then plan your postings smartly to create excitement. Where possible, interact with possible readers in order to get them engaged and interested. As you leverage the marketing power of social media, just remember to stay authentic with your content .

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The Power of Personal Connection at Your Book Launch Event

Imagine your book launch party buzzing with the chatter of excited readers, all eager to get their hands on your latest work. It’s not just about selling books; it’s a chance to make each attendee feel like part of the story you’ve woven. The key? Personal engagement.

Delivering a Memorable Speech

When you prepare a speech for your book launch event, think less lecture and more heart-to-heart conversation. You’re not there just to promote sales but also to share the blood, sweat, and tears that went into every page. Tell them about the main character who kept you up at night or how this nonfiction title changed your perspective on life itself.

Your words should weave together anecdotes from your writing process—maybe that time inspiration struck in a local café or during an early morning walk—and heartfelt gratitude towards those close friends who supported you through thick and thin. By doing so, personal stories become shared experiences between author and reader.

Incorporating these personal touches doesn’t just help sell books. By engaging readers, you can boost both your author platform growth as well as launch day buzz.

Making Every Autograph Count

A signature can be more than ink on paper—it can spark conversations that turn casual attendees into loyal fans. While promotional swag is great, personalized interactions create memories that last far longer. Here’s how to do it:

• Show genuine interest: When someone steps up to buy book copies, ask them their name—not just for inscription purposes but because showing genuine curiosity fosters connection.
• Tailor messages: Make each autograph unique by adding short notes tailored specifically towards something they’ve mentioned during interaction, whether it’s excitement over their own creative projects or yours.
• Create moments worth sharing: Encourage people to read excerpts aloud if comfortable or take photos. These activities naturally lend themselves toward social media posts you (and attendees!) can craft post-book signing.

All these actions encourage word-of-mouth marketing long after launch week has ended. When they go home, your readers will tell friends about meeting you, prompting others purchase copies too. After all, when folks feel seen, they’re much more likely to talking about your book signing afterward.

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FAQs on Book Launches

What is a book launch.

A book launch is an event (online or in-person) to celebrate and kick off the sale of a new book, aiming to generate buzz and boost early sales.

What is the format for an in-person book launch?

The typical format includes author readings, Q&As, signings, and mingling with guests—usually accompanied by snacks or drinks.

Do you launch or release a book?

You do both. “Release” means it’s available for purchase; “launch” refers specifically to promotional events surrounding its release.

Start planning your book launch early and you set the stage for one that’s bound to dazzle. Pick your date and venue with care, knowing these choices can spark reader excitement or snuff it out. By investing time in your online presence, you’ll help generate buzz and draw in fans.

To keep readers engaged, add personal touches in your book launch speech and during signings. Suddenly attendees aren’t just customers; they’re part of your narrative. By connecting personally with readers, you’ll convince to not just buy a book, but buy into your journey.

Nail these elements down and, before long, you won’t just launch a book—you’ll launch an era where every new title is an event eagerly awaited by throngs of dedicated fans.

• Last Updated: June 12, 2024

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Home » Promoting & Marketing » How to Write a Press Release for a Book Launch

What should a book press release include? 

A well-written book press release needs to grab the reader’s attention, describe what your book is about and why people should read it, and provide basic information about the book for selling and distribution (e.g. title, author, publication date, where to buy).

Try to find a relevant, unique way of pitching your book, and use that as a hook. What makes it a newsworthy story? Possible ideas: a rare or trending book topic, an intriguing author story, a prestigious literary award, an innovative launch event, a remarkable milestone.

Is there a standard press release format?

Most book press releases follow a basic format for a reason. Journalists and editors may only have a few minutes (or seconds!) to decide if your press release deserves attention, so keep the writing clear, organized, and easy to follow. Avoid clichés and over-hyped language, unless it’s a review quote or testimonial from a prominent figure.

A traditional book press release is between 300 to 500 words and is ideally one page. The more concise and compelling, the better. Here’s a sample outline:

• Contact Info: Include your name, address, phone number, email, and website.
• Publication Date: List the publication date for your book as “For release on [date]” or simply note “For immediate release.”
• Headline: Keep it short and catchy, and highlight what sets your book apart.
• CITY, STATE, Date : The city and state should be in all caps.
• Body content: The first short paragraph introduces you and your book in a compelling way. The second short paragraph contains a detailed description of the book and its audience (avoid using “I” or “we”). The third brief paragraph may include a quote from a book reviewer or a notable person endorsing the book. The fourth paragraph lists where to buy the book, or launch event details (date, time, location, contact info).
• Cover Photo: You may choose to add a high-resolution photo of the book cover.
• Closing/Bio : Finish with a short author bio. If your book is connected to an organization or business, you may also include the group’s mission statement here.  

Large publishing houses, small presses, and self-published authors all rely on press releases, so you can find many examples of press releases online. Check the author or publisher websites for writers and artists you admire.

What is the best time to send out a press release?

A press release for a book launch is usually posted the day the book becomes available for purchase. So you probably want to send your press release to the media or other publications 3 to 5 days before you’d like it to appear. Take into consideration the higher volume of requests that a larger media organization might be dealing with and allow extra time, compared to a smaller newspaper or website that might have a shorter turnaround time for publication.

If your book is connected to a newsworthy topic, launch event, or award ceremony, you may choose to adjust the timing of your press release to coincide with that (even if it happens weeks or months after your book was first published).

Where should I send a press release?

Consider the target audience for your book when deciding where to send your press release. If the topic of your book relates to the mission statement of any local businesses or nonprofit organizations, send a copy of the press release to them. Authors of fiction, poetry, and memoirs  may want to reach out to literary magazines that publish writing or book reviews in the same genre. If you do want a magazine or journal to write a review, you’ll need to include a review copy of your book with the press release.

Check the blog for more ideas and inspiration on selling, distributing, and marketing your self-published book . And don’t forget to set up an author website !

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Hannah Reads

• Hannah Reed
• Jan 23, 2020

How to plan your first book launch event

It can be daunting planning your first book launch event. Not many people may even know you're publishing a book, you don’t have any fans that you know of yet and in general it's very stressful putting you and your work out there. Fortunately, hosting a book launch does not need to be a scary thing! Follow my guide below which details how I went about planning the book launch for Tenebrasco .

Three most important things for a book launch:

Pre-event planning

1. Choosing a date

The first step is to select the date you want to host your book launch. Think about who you are inviting and when they are most likely to be free. Also think about other events in your area and what day/times work for them.

I chose a Thursday evening at 7pm. It doesn’t clash with weekend activities and gives people time to go home after work before coming back out. (Disclaimer: This worked for me, it won’t work for everyone)

2. Create a guest list

Write down a list of people you think will almost definitely turn up to support you. Start with your family, close friends, family friends etc. (This list can be as long or as short as you like)

3. Send out a save the date

To ensure people turn up they need to be able to make your event. I sent round a message to all the people on my original guest list. This can be short.

I’m planning a book launch party/gathering for XXX. It’s going to be on Thursday XX XXXX. I’ll send more details over later - at the moment I’m just trying to get an idea of numbers. Let me know if you can make it!

This way if the date you have chosen is a busy date you can still change it to make sure you have more people turning up.

Keep track of who you have messaged/spoke to about the event and their response. This can be as simple as taking notes on your phone or you could whip up a quick spreadsheet.

Choosing a venue is the hard part. But we can narrow down your options quite quickly.

· Be easy to get to/find

· Accessible i.e close to a car park or public transport

· Big enough to accommodate your guests

· Not too big it feels uncomfortable

Likely options:

· Coffee shops

· Independent bookstores

· Community space

Start contacting the venues to see if they are available on the date and time you want to host your book launch and find out if there are any costs associated.

Venues charge in different ways:

· Some will charge a room hire fee and charge you for food and drink on top

· Others give you the room for free but may have a minimum spend on food and drink

· Some just charge room hire

· The dream – find somewhere that will give you the venue for free and will let you bring your own food and drink. (This will significantly lower your costs)

I held my book launch at a local café, Cooper & Co . They actively support local talent and where happy for me to host my book launch free of charge. They close at 5pm so I used their space after hours. I could then bring in my own food and drink which significantly reduced the cost of the event.

5. Invites and advertising

Now that the venue is locked down for your chosen date it is time to start telling people about the event.

I recommend creating a small ‘invite graphic’ which contains the key details. You can then send this to everyone you invited in the 'save the date' phase. You can also encourage your friends and family to send this onto people they know who might be interested.

Next you need to post this on all your social media channels. Even if you don’t think anyone will come off the back of it do it anyway. You never know!

This one is very important. If you are hosting a book launch this is your chance to sell your books to a willing and supportive audience. Make sure you have ordered copies of your book down so you can sell them at the launch.

I published through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). With KDP you have to publish your book before you can order your author copies. (This didn’t fit in with my timeline of events – but I made it work)

Choosing how many to order is difficult. Go back to your invite list and try to count how many you think you will sell. (I ordered 50 for my event!)

7. Food and drink

Keep it simple. For my event, I was originally planning on ordering canapés and having Prosecco on arrival…. In the end, I bought lots of crisps and popcorn and a load of Pimm's and lemonade. It was perfect (and a lot cheaper!).

The one thing I really wanted was mermaid cupcakes… (My book is about mermaids so this does make sense!). The cupcakes turned into an excellent way to have a subtle theme at the launch.

If you are ordering food from the venue you can usually confirm catering numbers a couple of days before the event.

For drink, if you are having drinks from the venue make sure you give clear instructions to the venue to ensure you don’t accidentally wrack up a huge bill. I recommend asking them to contact you when they reach certain cost intervals.

8. Reminders

This is very important. Do not forget to remind people about your launch. People are busy so remind then a week before the launch and then again a day before. You don’t want them not turning up just because they forgot to put it in their diaries.

Q: Do you want to give a speech?

A: No I don’t want to give a speech.

- Don’t give a speech then, it’s not worth it.

A: Yes, I want to give a speech.

I quite like public speaking so for me it was an easy decision. I wrote the speech the night before, practised a few times and then was ready to go.

I gave my speech without cue cards or any prompts. (As I said I do quite like public speaking) But, you can make yourself cue cards with prompts if that would make you feel more confident.

I also asked my boyfriend to do an introductory speech to my speech. He got everyone’s attention for me, thanked them for coming and passed everyone over to me. Having someone introduce you makes the speech and the event feel more official.

10. Assigning roles for the event

You are going to be nervous. You are going to be in demand. Your number one duty for the event is to enjoy yourself and answer your guest’s questions about the book. Your second duty is to sign the books.

- Greeting guests

- Selling books

- Monitoring/managing drinks and snacks

If you are hiring a venue that is looking after the drinks and food you can cross that one off your list. Otherwise assign these tasks to responsible friends/family members and make sure they know what they are doing.

11. Selling your book

Choose a price. It doesn’t necessarily need to be the price you are selling it normally.

You could reduce the price as a book launch special OR you could increase the price seeing as you are signing it.

12. Decoration

My venue was very nicely decorated and of course I had my mermaid cupcakes so I didn’t need much. I printed off some A3 posters to put on the doors of the venue and to put up around the venue. I also bought a helium balloon to go on the book sales table!

Plan your day so you know exactly how you’re getting to the launch, ensuring you get there early

Ensure all the food and drink are ready to go to the venue

Have a good pen ready to sign your books

Relax and enjoy!

At the venue set-up your bookselling area and designate an area to sign your book as well. I was unprepared for how many people would want me to sign Tenebrasco and was shocked to find a line waiting for me!

The hard work was writing and publishing the book. Try to enjoy the launch and talk to as many people as possible. They are all here to support you.

If you have any questions feel free to message me on Instagram, on HannahReads.co.uk or email me :) If you have any suggestions for blog posts let me know!

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How to Plan a Book Launch

An author's guide to a successful book release.

« Return to Author Resources

Author Directions: Your Guide to a Successful Book Launch

Completing a book and preparing to publish your work is a huge milestone for any author, and your book launch should reflect that. Writing a book takes months, if not years, so you want to make sure it reaches your audience with a BANG instead of getting lost in the crowd of new publications. A great strategy can help drive readers to your new book and ensure your launch is a marketing success.

But where do you start? There is a lot to think about when launching your new book, so we've broken it all down for you. Here's what you need to know when planning a successful book launch:

What Is a Book Launch

A book launch is a series of events, activities, and other efforts that are planned in the weeks or months leading up to the release of a new book. The goal of a book launch is to generate interest from an author's target audience and boost sales. After all, writing a book requires a significant investment of time and effort, so why not give it your all when promoting your latest work? 

Books have a much better chance of being discovered by readers when you commit to an engaging, well-planned book launch strategy. You may even convince buyers to pick up your book over a competitor's. A successful strategy might include the following steps:

• Social media campaigns
• Email marketing
• Merchandise for advertising and promotion
• Launch parties

Navigating the abundance of book marketing opportunities available to today's authors can be overwhelming, which is why Routledge works closely with our writers to find the most effective strategy to launch each unique body of work.

Setting Up Your Book Launch Timeline

Depending on your book’s genre or subject matter, there may be a tried and true book launch timeline that most others in your category follow — this can help you outline a plan and determine what will work best for your new book. 

However, we’ll break down a general book launch timeline to help you prepare your budget and get your marketing plans scheduled and ready for action. When you partner with Routledge to launch your book, we can support your efforts by providing marketing materials, books for display, and much more. For more information, click below.

Pre-Launch (3 Months Before Book Release)

1. finalize your book launch date .

This is the first step in planning your launch. Without a final release date, it isn't easy to make an accurate marketing plan. Work with your publisher to iron out the official launch date and then build your calendar to make the most of the time before release. Ideally, you'll want to start generating buzz about your book roughly three months before its release date.

2. Finish Essential Publishing Tasks

You may choose to complete these tasks closer to your book launch date, but finalizing your draft and editing beforehand is essential to long-term success. The sooner you get this done, the more time you’ll have to catch any typos, mistakes, or changes that need to be made before your book is officially released to the public. You may also want to work with your publisher to ensure any work that needs to be completed on your end is on track and fully understood. 

All books published with Routledge are peer-reviewed at the proposal and manuscript stages by respected academic specialists to ensure the highest quality content. We also have in-house production and design teams that work alongside key partnerships to efficiently and attractively design and produce books. This way, you don’t have to worry about outstanding loose ends leading up to your book launch date.

3. Gather An Email List

While publishers typically have built-in email marketing activities that automatically deploy when a new book publishes, building out your own email lists is highly beneficial to keeping readers updated on your book’s release and any promotional events. You should try to grow your audience as much as possible before your official book launch.  

4. Schedule Promotional Events & Marketing Plans

Build a calendar outlining every event or promotional opportunity you plan to include in your book launch. This may include book signings, free chapter teasers, promotional material (e.g., flyers and books for display), speaking engagements, and more. Of course, these dates don’t always have to be set in stone, but setting a time on your calendar will help you focus your marketing efforts without getting too overwhelmed. It can also help you stay on track as you work toward the official release date. 

Growing Your Book’s Digital Presence

5. create an author website.

As an author, you may already have your own author website or page, whether through an affiliated educational institution or for providing professional services (e.g., university faculty page, consultation page, etc.) However, if you don’t have one, now is the time to consider setting up an author site. As a published writer, it’s crucial that readers can find out more about you and your work online. By creating your own website, you have complete control over the personal details and type of information you want your readers to access – including important details about your book launch. 

Some key features to include are: 

• An “about” page 
• Links to your social media accounts
• Contact information 
• Blog or news announcements 
• Email list sign-up 

Although adding a blog to your website is not required, it can be a great asset to building an audience for your upcoming book. Blogging can inspire readers to add their information to your email list, which is excellent for sharing book updates and details about future events. A well-written blog can also help keep your book at the top of your audience’s mind and attract potential new book buyers.

6. Set Up a Web Page for Your New Book

Creating a specific page on your website for your upcoming book is a great way to feature related information and content. This can help funnel readers to the part of your website that promotes the new book while allowing easy access to upcoming events and book launch updates.  

This page should include your book cover (if you have it), the book description, and any early endorsements for the new book. A great book review can be a significant purchase incentive for readers.

A book-specific page is also an ideal spot to include an email sign-up form so readers can subscribe to news about the upcoming book launch. You can even stir up excitement by offering a free chapter excerpt on the page as well. 

To ensure audiences know where to purchase your book, include the link to your book’s Routledge page. From there, customers can purchase your book in any of the various formats available across the globe. You don’t want to miss out on your international audience!

7. Review Your Publisher’s Web Page for Your Book

Authors should check their publisher’s website to ensure the information about their new book is fully up-to-date and accurate. Make a checklist and make sure the following are all correct: 

Book description 

Author’s bio 

Release dates 

Table of contents

If you find anything that needs updating, contact your editor immediately.

8. Make a Social Media Plan

Your author website should be the number one priority when it comes to your online presence, but once that is underway, it’s time to include social media in your book launch strategy. From Facebook to Twitter to TikTok, social media channels are instrumental in marketing books to the public and can add an exciting flair to your book promotion. Depending on your audience, you may want to focus your attention on one platform above the others, so don’t worry about cultivating a presence on every single social media site. 

Instead, prioritize the platform that works best for your readers. Below are some options to consider: 

• Facebook:  This is an ideal author platform for marketing most books. Using Facebook’s interactive capabilities, you can attract new readers and target specific audiences by sharing on relevant group pages, tagging or using hashtags, and posting videos discussing the book’s key highlights and features. 
• Twitter:  Authors can have excellent success marketing through Twitter due to its ability to start conversations and attract new followers through hashtags. Authors can directly engage with other writers, book bloggers, and readers with similar interests to build a community and advertise new books. 
• Instagram:  If you want to show more of the behind-the-scenes moments of your book launch, this is a great platform to post on. It also helps create a personal connection with current and new readers as they see parts of the process that aren’t typically shown. 
• TikTok:  This is a Gen Z powerhouse. As one of the most popular apps for the younger generations, it also has a thriving hashtag subset called “booktok” that encourages writers and readers to share their favorite books. This can be used effectively for writers targeting young adults.

Planning a Book Launch Party

A book launch party is a great launchpad for your book’s future success. It can garner free publicity, media coverage, and promotion through word of mouth, as well as help your book stand out from the crowd. However, it is essential to understand the main purpose of a book launch event: promoting book sales. 

A book launch party is both a party and a business event. Depending on your budget, resources, and preferences, you can choose to host your book launch party online or in person. If possible, you should start planning your book launch party at least two months in advance. Here are some helpful tips for planning a successful book launch party: 

9. Choose a Date for Your Book Launch

Make sure you pick a date that doesn’t conflict with any major holidays or relevant events. If you’re active on social media, you may want to take a poll and ask people to vote on their preferred dates to maximize guest availability.  

A good rule of thumb is to throw the book launch party relatively close to the official book release date. This helps to encourage sales and maintain marketing momentum. 

10. Select a Venue or Social Media Platform

If you are hosting an in-person party, look for the ideal venue for your new book. This could include a library, bookstore, local cafe, or hotel space. If you are affiliated with a university, society, or association, your contacts may be able to assist you in setting something up. You want a venue that works well with your book’s potential audience and can fit the number of expected guests. 

If you are hosting your book launch party online, choose to celebrate the new book on one specific social media platform. One example is Twitter, which enables personal live-Tweeting with digital guests and readers. Another might be Instagram, where the author can live stream with guests and readers and answer any questions or comments in real time about the book. 

11. Use Social Media to Promote Your Book Launch Party

You’ve created an author website and social media channels prior to your book launch — now’s the time to take advantage of them! Post about the launch party before, during, and after to drum up excitement for your book.

12. Prepare a Speech

Whether your party is in person or online, you should prepare a short speech to thank your audience for their support and share more about your personal experience writing and publishing the new book. This is also a great moment to acknowledge those who have helped you on your journey and share your excitement for the book’s release. Additionally, you can use this time to reiterate when and where exactly your new book will be available for purchase.

13. Incorporate a Book Signing at Your Book Launch

If your book launch party is in person, why not host a book signing? Book signings are a great way to engage with your audience in a close and personal manner. 

If you wish to purchase copies of your book to use at your book signing, get in touch with our Author Sales Team below.

14. Share How to Buy the Book

The objective of this book launch party is to promote sales. So, why not make it easy for everyone? Add ways to pre-purchase your book and inspire readers to order sooner rather than later. There should be ample information showing exactly where, when, and how to buy your new book. 

15. Collaborate With Routledge

If you are a Routledge author, your local Taylor & Francis office can help promote your book launch by setting up a custom discount code for attendees, free chapter downloads, and even a prize draw for a chance to win a copy of your book. Contact our Author Marketing Support team here  to see how we can help.

The Author Sales team provides support to authors looking to purchase their books for resale, consulting, or promotional purposes. We also work closely with training organizations, corporate and association customers, as well as governments and charities. Learn more  about how our sales team can assist, or get in touch directly. 

Additional Book Launch Resources

Want more personalized help from Routledge to successfully launch your book? Dig deeper into our other resources using the button below.

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INTELLECTUAL INK

A MAGAZINE FOR AVID READERS AND PROLIFIC WRITERS

How to Successfully Launch Your Book: A Comprehensive Guide

• publishing advice
• writing advice

L aunching a book is an exciting and pivotal moment for any author. Whether you’re a first-time writer or a seasoned author, the book launch process requires careful planning and execution to ensure your hard work gets the attention it deserves. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to successfully launch your book, making it both SEO-friendly and engaging for your audience.

1. Pre-Launch Preparation

Identify your target audience.

Before you begin planning your book launch, it’s crucial to identify your target audience. Who are the readers most likely to be interested in your book? Understanding their demographics, interests, and reading habits will help you tailor your marketing efforts effectively.

Build an Author Platform

Your author platform is your online presence and includes your website, social media profiles, and email list. Begin building your platform well in advance of your book launch. A strong online presence will make it easier to reach and engage with potential readers.

• Website: Create a professional author website that includes a blog, an about page, and a dedicated page for your book.
• Social Media: Establish and maintain active profiles on major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Email List: Start building an email list by offering a free resource or sneak peek of your book in exchange for email addresses. Tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit can help you manage your list.

Engage with Your Community

Engage with your audience regularly through blog posts, social media updates, and email newsletters. Share updates about your writing process, behind-the-scenes content, and personal stories to build a connection with your readers.

2. Crafting Your Launch Plan

Set Clear Goals

Define what you want to achieve with your book launch. Are you aiming for a certain number of sales, reviews, or media coverage? Having clear, measurable goals will help you stay focused and assess the success of your launch.

Create a Timeline

Develop a detailed timeline that outlines the key activities leading up to your book launch. This should include milestones such as:

• Finalizing your manuscript
• Designing your book cover
• Formatting your book for print and digital versions
• Building your launch team
• Planning your marketing strategy

Assemble a Launch Team

A launch team is a group of enthusiastic supporters who can help spread the word about your book. This can include friends, family, fellow authors, bloggers, and fans. Provide them with exclusive content and incentives to motivate them to promote your book.

Design Promotional Materials

Invest in professional promotional materials such as:

• Book Cover: A compelling cover that grabs attention and conveys the essence of your book.
• Press Kit: A media kit that includes a press release, author bio, book summary, and high-quality images.
• Promotional Graphics: Eye-catching graphics for social media, your website, and email campaigns.

3. Marketing Your Book

Optimize Your Book Listing

Ensure your book listing on platforms like Amazon is optimized for search engines. Use relevant keywords in your book title, subtitle, and description. Research keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs.

Leverage Social Media

Create a social media marketing strategy that includes regular posts, stories, and engagement with your followers. Use a mix of content types, such as:

• Teasers and Excerpts: Share snippets from your book to pique interest.
• Behind-the-Scenes: Post about your writing journey and book launch preparations.
• Interactive Content: Use polls, quizzes, and live videos to engage your audience.

Email Marketing

Leverage your email list to generate buzz about your book. Send a series of emails leading up to the launch, including:

• Announcement: Inform your subscribers about your upcoming book and its release date.
• Sneak Peeks: Share exclusive excerpts and previews with your subscribers.
• Launch Day: Send a launch day email with a direct link to purchase your book.

Utilize Book Promotion Sites

Consider using book promotion sites to reach a wider audience. Websites like BookBub, Freebooksy, and Bargain Booksy offer paid promotions to help you reach avid readers.

Collaborate with Influencers and Bloggers

Reach out to influencers, bloggers, and book reviewers in your genre. Offer them a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review or a feature on their platform. Positive reviews from trusted sources can significantly boost your book’s credibility and visibility.

4. Launch Day and Beyond

Host a launch event.

Consider hosting a virtual or in-person launch event to celebrate your book release. This could be a live reading, a Q&A session, or a book signing. Promote the event across your social media channels and email list.

Monitor and Respond to Feedback

Stay active on social media and respond to comments, messages, and reviews. Engaging with your readers shows that you value their feedback and helps build a loyal community.

Track Your Progress

Use analytics tools to track the success of your book launch. Monitor metrics such as book sales, website traffic, email open rates, and social media engagement. This data will help you understand what’s working and where you can improve.

Plan for Long-Term Marketing

A successful book launch is just the beginning. Continue marketing your book post-launch by:

• Running Promotions: Offer discounts or limited-time deals to keep your book in the spotlight.
• Participating in Interviews and Podcasts: Seek opportunities to discuss your book and reach new audiences.
• Writing Guest Posts: Contribute articles to relevant blogs and websites to increase your visibility.

5. SEO Tips for Your Book Launch

Keyword Research

Perform keyword research to identify the terms your target audience is searching for. Use these keywords strategically in your:

• Book Title and Subtitle: Incorporate primary keywords naturally to improve searchability.
• Book Description: Write a compelling description that includes relevant keywords without keyword stuffing.
• Author Bio: Optimize your bio with keywords related to your genre and expertise.

Create High-Quality Content

Regularly update your blog with high-quality, keyword-rich content related to your book’s themes and topics. This will not only attract readers but also improve your website’s SEO.

Backlink Building

Build backlinks to your website by:

• Guest Posting: Write articles for other blogs and include a link to your website.
• Collaborating with Influencers: Encourage influencers and bloggers to link back to your book’s landing page.
• Press Releases: Distribute press releases to reputable media outlets and include links to your website.

Utilize Multimedia

Incorporate multimedia elements such as images, videos, and infographics in your blog posts and social media content. Visual content is more engaging and can improve your SEO by increasing time spent on your pages.

Optimize for Mobile

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. A responsive design enhances user experience and improves your search engine ranking.

Monitor SEO Performance

Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your website’s SEO performance. Track metrics such as organic traffic, bounce rate, and keyword rankings to assess the effectiveness of your SEO efforts.

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Jonathan Benton

Writing a speech – tips for a book launch..

The jazz band introduced me to Star Wars’s Imperial March:

Being introduced to Darth Vader music was always a dream of mine. The other dream was to get published. That’s two boxes ticked today.

(Thank yous)

I was a better author when I was 14 than when I first started developing the craft. Whenever I wrote a story I either won a competition or got top marks.  But as I stumbled through my teens I lost my writer’s voice. The car accident – such a huge part of my life. It still is – hardly a day goes by that I don’t wonder what Julie King would be doing now if she was alive.

I’ve lived in a quartet of countries, each one an essential part of my journey to publication.

In many ways Fiji saved me. I swear – if anyone is experiencing tough times I recommend they get on a plane to Nadi, find a reef, throw on some scuba and sink beneath the swells. The underwater world is easily as good as any of the great fantasy landscapes of literature. Being a PADI Divemaster, and looking after the people I used to take diving, centered me. It gave me a sense of responsibility that I don’t think I had until Fiji.

England. Rather than base myself in Earl’s Court with the other Kiwis and Aussies, I found a quiet little English village, and immersed myself in its culture for two years. How a small town could have 7 pubs I’ll never know – I was drinking back then though. Several pubs probably filed for bankruptcy once I left. New Zealand. Another beautiful country, and Australia, the place I now call home.

Young adults … What a wonderful market to write for. What an amazing, energizing and inspiring group of people. I believe they deserve books that have layers, thought-provoking books. I certainly enjoyed those kinds of books when I was a strapping young lad! Books like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Something Wicked this Way Comes . AND I’m hoping A Wicked Kind of Dark . But writing is a balancing act. One of my mentors – Jan – once told me his thoughts on Moby Dick: what is the significance of the white whale; what are the deep underlying messages; how these questions have been discussed and debated  in the ivory towers around the world. Jan then went on to say that Moby Dick wouldn’t be talked about at all without it first being a ripping good yarn. That is the kind of balance in their literature that I think young adults deserve.

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• Author Spotlight

Book Launch: The Essential Guide

Introduction.

“ I can plan my book launch without all of the bells and whistles of wildly famous authors .”

I encourage you to turn this into your mantra as you gear up for one of the most exciting and life-changing pinnacles of your life–publishing and launching your book!

Working with Kelly on her book launch for The Book You Were Born to Write  was an exciting whirlwind and an enormous learning experience. Today, I support the marketing and self-publishing departments within KN Literary and continue to be inspired by new and brave authors who put their dreams and voices out there. 

I’m thrilled to share the details of this experience, in the hope to motivate you to aim for the very reachable goal of sharing your book with the world. 

Luckily, we had Kelly record almost every step of her book launch journey, to keep this special time capsule as a guide for aspiring authors preparing for publication. 

Consider this post a one-stop shop for launching your book!

BOOK LAUNCH BASICS

What is a book launch.

A book launch is the promotional and marketing strategy aimed towards bringing awareness to your soon-to-be-published book.

Why is a book launch important?

A book launch leads to the awareness of you and your new book, which leads to sales! But more than that, it leads to opportunities, more people finding your work and touching more lives.

Is a book launch necessary?

If your goal is just to complete a book and share it with friends and family, a book launch isn’t necessary, and that can save you a lot of time and money. However, if you want to reach more people with your message and create excitement and buzz around your book when it comes out, a book launch is highly encouraged. 

How long does a book launch last?

In all sobering honesty, you should begin strategizing for your book launch as soon as possible. Even while you’re writing your book. Ideally 18 months before the pub date. 

The official “book launch,” meaning you are posting on social media, writing to your email subscribers and guest speaking on podcasts with the goal of creating pre-order buzz, should begin 6 months before publication.

Book Publishing Lingo

If you are working with a professional marketing team or a publisher, Kelly created this helpful post so you can sound like you know what you’re doing!

THE BOOK LAUNCH MYTH

Let’s begin by clearing up some hopeful thinking that many aspiring authors may be seduced into believing: someone else will market and sell your book for you.  

Even traditionally published authors need to steer the ship of their own book launch. Though Kelly is a published Hay House author, she still needed to plan for her own promos, and to spearhead the process.

FINDING YOUR VOICE

Like all of you, Kelly spent years writing her book (and decades accumulating the wisdom inside of the chapters). This meant she had to gear up to shout from the beautiful mountaintops (the Rocky Mountains to be precise) that her book was about to be published.

Kelly’s favorite way to reach people

Kelly enjoys letting people know about her work through speaking at writers’ conferences, and through recording videos (check out the KN Literary Youtube channel ). This woman is an excellent speaker—if you’ve ever watched her, you can see how clear, concise and direct her lessons are (and the camera loves her). 

The good news is that she didn’t have to invest a lot in Youtube video equipment , and neither do you!

Just because this is her chosen method and gift to share her wisdom, it doesn’t need to be yours. I want you to be creative and use your preferred method to share your wisdom. Perhaps you would love being interviewed on podcasts or would enjoy writing blogs to sell your book .

Authenticity is key

Your audience can pick up on if you’re being honest and enjoying yourself. Truth is contagious, which is the best way to grow your readership. And if you’re shy, I promise you there is room in the book market for you—take a look at Platform Building for Introverts for more inspiration.

BOOK LAUNCH TIMELINE

If you have given yourself ample time to prepare for your book publication, below is a timeline that will support you on your journey. For more in-depth timeline recommendations, head on over to our Book Launch Checklist .

18 Months Prior to Launch

• Start building an author website
• Create a book launch budget 
• Consider the book launch team you will need
• Put together a wishlist of contacts who might endorse your book

12 Months Prior to Launch

• Gather your book launch team
• Reach out to potential endorsers
• Make a wishlist for launch-time partnerships

10 Months Prior to Launch

• Communicate with your email list more frequently
• Begin posting more content to social media
• Set up a Goodreads page
• If you’ve decided that you do want to do a book tour, begin planning
• Plan to take new author photos
• Begin launch day celebration plans

8 Months Prior to Launch

• Prepare a sell sheet
• Reach out to bookstores to host your book readings (if you choose to do this)
• Research podcasts to speak on
• Begin long-lead magazine outreach 
• If you are hosting a launch party, find the venue and book it 
• Grow your email list. A great way to do this is via a lead magnet
• Work on what your “extra special offering” for pre-orders will be

6 Months Prior to Launch

• Reach out to potential launch partners
• Follow-up on previous outreach (bookstores, event venues, endorsers)
• Continue sharing to social media and your email list

3 Months Prior to Launch

• Update your website to reflect your publication date and pre-order information
• Reach out to the podcasts you identified during month 8
• Confirm that your book is ready for pre-order online (especially Amazon)
• Reach out to local news outlets 
• Promo your lead magnet and extra special offering for pre-sales
• Write your launch email series
• Plan your launch event

1 Month Prior to Launch

• Pre-order book sales campaign
• Invite loved ones to your launch event (if you are having one)
• Finalize pub-week plans

1 Week Prior to Launch

• Schedule pub-day celebrations
• Send out a reminder email
• Share the reminder on social media. Go live!

Publication Day! 

• Send out an announcement email that today is the day!
• Continue to prepare to share your book and discuss it online for the next 1-2 years. And don’t forget to ask for 5-star Amazon reviews !

BOOK LAUNCH TEAM

So whether you’re self-publishing your book or going with a traditional publishing house, it’s up to you to promote your book! But this doesn’t mean you need to do it alone.

Kelly’s book launch team included: 

• A book launch coach
• Marketing coordinator
• Social media assistant
• Graphic designer
• Website designer
• Facebook ads specialist
• A podcast booker (this can be replaced by a publicist if you have the financial means)

Tips to finding your book launch team:

• If your budget is limited, find an admin that has multiple skills
• Use your network and ask those whose careers you admire, if they have any referrals
• Check out upwork or Fiverr for freelance contractors

Tips to working with your book launch team:

• Decide what success looks like and set specific goals for your launch
• Give yourself and your team the time needed to execute the launch
• Focus on executing a few efforts really well

BOOK LAUNCH DOs  

Author website.

You may be asking, is an author website worth it? The simple answer is yes, we highly recommend having an author website for your book launch. Even if it’s one web page where people can find you and sign up for your newsletter list. 

Website platforms are becoming easier and easier to use–whether you are building your site on Wix , Squarespace , or WordPress , there are a ton of freelance contractors who can whip something up that’s simple. 

How to Tune Up Your Website for a Book Launch

Love on Your Existing Readers and Community! 

Yes, expanding your readership is essential to your book launch. But your existing community is a group you definitely don’t want to miss out on!

Here are a few of my favorite videos from Kelly on this subject:

How to Get Pre-Order Book Sales

Transitioning Your Facebook Friends into Fans

Fans, Superfans and Megafans

BOOK LAUNCH DON’T s

Ok these are actually Maybe Not s. If your focus is on strategic energy dispersal, and you are on a time crunch, read below!  If you have given yourself the 18-months described above, then please follow your heart and drive. 

Endorsements:

What exactly are endorsements? Endorsements are words of praise that typically can live on the front or back cover of your book, as well as the front matter of the book.

Unless you have personal relationships with respected and well-known figures relevant to the theme of your book, pursuing endorsements can be a time suck. And including endorsements from unknown people can be fruitless if the goal is to sell more books.  

The concept of a “book tour” has shifted since 2020. If the landscape of our current reality continues to influence the way we gather, a virtual book tour may actually be more of a benefit for new authors. There is a limited amount of reach available at a live book reading, whereas online, the viewership can be endless and even global.

I’ve kept this on the “Don’t” list because it still does require preparation, time, promotion and money. The downside is that as easy as it is for a viewer to sign up for a virtual book reading, it’s even easier to skip it. 

I recommend paying attention to what feels uplifting and draining when it comes to planning out your book launch calendar. If there are a few bookstores that would help you reach your bucket list goals, check out if they’re doing Zoom book readings.

BOOK LAUNCH CAMPAIGN IDEAS 

Create a lead magnet.

What exactly is a Lead Magnet? A lead magnet is a free piece of content on your website or shared on social media that you offer to people in exchange for their email address. This is a common way that authors and businesses grow their email list, which is crucial for building your audience. 

During Kelly’s book launch, we created an online quiz that revealed to readers where they were in their book journey. We added this to the homepage of the website, as well as invested a part of our budget in Facebook ads to share this with targeted audiences. Subscribers would funnel into an email drip that shared more helpful information and also, and this is key , informed them about Kelly’s new book with a special offering just for those who pre-ordered. Learn more about this below.

Extra Special Offering for Pre-Ordering Your book

This is a popular strategy for book launches. Donald Miller of Storybrand created a temporary free and in-depth business course for pre-ordering his book Business Made Simple . Kelly offered a free live webinar, called “The Organized Author.” This was recorded as a live virtual event where people could ask questions. We recorded the webinar and turned it into “evergreen” content for future book-buyers. Take a look at the offering on our book sales page . Even after 2.5 years, people still funnel through this drip. 

By sharing the future webinar with our email list, posting to social media and having a few close friends of Kelly’s with a large audience promote it, we had a solid participant list. 

Luckily with the magic of technology, you don’t need a large audience to still carry out an offering like this. There are settings in the webinar platform we like to use to hide the number of live participants, and many other tricks to still make recording a webinar worth it. 

Podcast Interview Spots

If you’re like our lovely marketing director, Nikki Nash , you love connecting with people through conversation. Not only does she have her own podcast, but for the launch of her book, Market Your Genius , she has been booked on 100 guest interview spots! 

To do this, you either need a podcast booking agency, a rockstar assistant or a few hours a week for reaching out to shows that you know shares a similar audience as you.

We hired a podcast booking agency for Kelly during her book launch, guaranteeing 4 interviews a month. Being interviewed on new shows increased awareness of her brand and book. This exposure to new audiences was really helpful in building our email list, and funneling them through the extra special pre-sales campaign. 

Podcast Interview Tips:

• Don’t be disappointed or take it personally if top-rated shows don’t respond to your inquiry; people have a lot going on.
• Find smaller and more niche shows if you’re a new author. You are more than likely to nail a spot on one of their episodes, and the host is more likely to share your free lead magnet at the end.
• Use your network–do any family and friends have podcast connections?
• Save your host time by offering specific topics, themes and questions to ask you. 
• Create a one-pager that provides a snippet about you, your book and conversational points you can elaborate on with the host.

Publishing and launching a book is a meaningful milestone. It can change the lives of your future readers, expand your career and even strengthen your confidence.

Kelly couldn’t have offered her wisdom without metaphorically standing on top of that mountain and sharing her voice. That’s the power of a book launch.

And please don’t be afraid to mess up! We are all still learning along the way—even Kelly!

Sending you all creative vibes and motivational drive along your writing journey!

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7 Easy but Effective Tips for a Great Book Launch

If you are thinking of releasing a book of your very own, you should make sure that your book launch is a success. This is because your book launch is the very first instance where your potential readers will see your book. And if your book launch is not successful, it will damage your overall chances of marketing and selling your book. 

So before you set out and conduct your book launch, you should have a set strategy. By doing so you will be able to start your book marketing campaign on the right foot. 

Here are 7 Easy but effective tips for a great book launch:

• Timing is key

Before you plan your book launch, it is important that you choose the best time. Remember that the time you release your book could really affect the overall success of your book. 

So do your research. Check what month is the most profitable and conducive for book sales. It could be during a book festival, a long weekend or during Christmas. 

Overall, timing is key if you want your book launch to do well.

• Pick a good venue

Aside from the timing, your venue is also a key element of your book launch. This is because your venue could determine whether people will come to your book launch. 

Choose a venue that is accessible and comfortable. It could be a café, a library, a book fair or even a country club. 

It all really depends on your budget, the number of people coming and the overall theme of your venue.

• Have a set schedule

When you plan out your book launch, every aspect of the book launch should be planned out in advance. You should really have a set schedule. 

That way, you can be up to date in every aspect of the book launch, and you could make back up plans for any unforeseen circumstances. 

Remember a lot is hanging on your book launch, so you should have a set schedule ready.

• Use social media

If you want people to come to your book launch, you should really use all the tools at your disposal to spread word of it. And seeing as social media is one of the most effective and popular media forms it is imperative that you know how to use it effectively. 

Luckily it is very easy to spread word of your book launch through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Through Facebook you can post well written ads about your book launch. 

Through Twitter you can regularly Tweet about your book launch and notify people of your venue. Through Instagram, you can post excerpts of your work and pictures of the book cover and venue. 

Overall social media is an extremely versatile marketing tool, you just have to know how to use it properly.

• Make sure you have a good supply of books

Aside from marketing your book, yet another reason why you are holding a book launch, is because you want to sell as many books as possible. And the book launch is a perfect place to sell your book, because most of the people there are already curious about your book. 

And it is the likeliest place you could sell your book. So bring as many books as you can. 

That way once you hold your book signing, you will have a ready supply of books to sell.

• Prepare a short but effective speech

It is customary for the author to say a short speech before the book launch. It gives the author a chance to thank the audience for coming. 

It also gives the author a chance to acknowledge the people who helped him or her. So when you hold your book launch, it is imperative that you have a short speech ready. 

But don’t make it too long. Just take the time to thank everyone for coming and tell a few things about your writing journey and why you took up writing in the first place. 

It is a way for you to introduce yourself to your audience and make them feel as welcome as possible.

• Designate duties to your team effectively

If you want your book launch to be a success, it is imperative that you get the best help possible. Although the book launch may seem like a simple event, it is in truth quite stressful and could really take up a lot of your time. 

So if you have people to help you, all the better. But you should really know how to designate duties to your team effectively. 

That way, once the book launch starts and the visitors start coming in, things will go as smoothly as possible.

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Felicity Volk

• Speech by ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher
• Launch remarks by the author

Speech by ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher at the launch of Lightning. Australian National Library, 2 July 2013.

Thank you very much Anne Marie, Ms Felicity Volk, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I'd like to begin by acknowledging that we gather today on the land of the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners and I extend my respects to their elders past and present and also acknowledge the ongoing contribution they make to the life of our city and our region.

What a great pleasure it is to be with you here tonight to launch Felicity's debut novel, and here in our much beloved National Library.

Tonight another story will be added to the collection of Australian novels as we debut and celebrate the release of the extraordinary novel Lightning.

As Chief Minister one of the concessions I've had to make as I deal with a demanding job and a demanding home life is that I'm no longer able to read books as much as I have in the past. Don't get me wrong, I do plenty of reading - more than I'd like at times - but reading for pleasure is something that is largely confined to holidays. So it was a great pleasure when reading for pleasure and reading for work combined and I sat down for a few minutes to start Lightning several weeks ago. Several hours later I emerged totally hooked on the book and of course on the intertwined stories of Persia and Ahmed. And I managed to finish the book in just two sittings, which I think is unheard of since I've taken on this job almost two years ago.

It is hard at a book launch to go through all the things you like or loved about the book because you want to talk about all the characters and talk about the story and the bits that made you laugh and the bits that made you cry in a way that doesn't ruin it for people that haven't read the book, so I've tried to confine my comments into quite a general perspective on the book because it's such a lovely story and that I really don't want to ruin it for anyone.

I found Lightning a beautiful and deeply moving novel. It's the story of grief and loss and dislocation, isolation but also of of connections. It's the story of the harshness of Australia's environment. How it can destroy, but how it can heal in the same breath. Its the story of relationships we have with each other - the good, the bad, the dysfunctional, and we can all relate to those. Its also a story of an individuals need to be loved, to be understood, to be respected, and how healing that can be and also the time it takes to achieve that peace. 

The fact that the story starts in Canberra in areas that we all know and love and understand make it even more special. From the opening line, "It was a summer of mad winds", readers who were in Canberra at the time of the 2003 bush fires will immediately connect with the setting and descriptions of that time. Felicity's ability to describe the loss and despair that the main character felt by the loss of her baby in such a subtle and normal way is one of the more remarkable achievements in Lightning.

As a mother I relate to the intense emotions. The heartbreak that Persia felt and I immediately understood and sympathised with the decision she took to opt out of her life until she found peace with what had happened and what she had to do as a mother. 

What is so sadly yet beautifully expressed in Lightning is a world of changed reality. One which depicts a particular moment in time after which comes the all-consuming nature of grief. And I quote from the book, "She tiptoed across her grief as if it were the icy surface of a pond on the first day on winter - thin and unreliable". Anyone who has endured loss, particularly unexpected sudden loss, can immediately relate to what Persia was describing. But from this story of loss comes the story of the incredible human ability to survive, to heal and to grow. As it shifts across generations, nations and cultures, the story unravels the strength of healing spirt, of stories with endings and beginnings. Life goes on, across countries, across times, across history; consistent themes of human interaction, of sadness, loss, happiness and love.

If I leave Persia just briefly and turn to the story of Ahmed. A wonderful, kind, patient and generous character, looking to belong and to understand his purpose in a new and often at times unkind country. Felicity expertly describes the complete isolation and disconnection felt, I'm sure, by many refugees making their way in our community, our country, seen through Ahmed's eyes. But importantly Lightning enables us to see that, regardless of how an individual arrives in Australia, they have their own contribution to bring to our collective story and this is what makes our country such a remarkable place to live. 

Lightning is a story of kindness. Of how the individual actions of one will help the collective spirit. The importance of compassion and caring for another human being and of sharing these things with each other as we journey throughout our own lives, find our own purpose, and understand what is next.

And finally, for me this is a story this is a story of resilience. Often we think that resilience is an Australian quality, part of our identity and culture that has been shaped through living in a country of floods and fires. And it is, but Lightning reminds us that being resilient is a quality of the human spirit that is not ours alone to claim.

Lightning is a book that readers will remember, whether it be the exquisite descriptions of grief and loss, the reality of complicated lives, the individual stories told within the story. Or the feeling of satisfaction that is reached at the end of the novel. Rest assured, you will remember this book. And that is what a good story telling does. It connects us with friends, family and strangers through sharing thoughts, memories, dreams, fears and hopes. 

In conclusion, I'm so delighted that the ACT government was able to play a small part in the development of this book. The result of all your hard work Felicity is right here in this book. An enduring legacy of your talent and your commitment. In a highly competitive industry, the publication of Lightning is a real credit to you. And it is with great honour that I launch Lightning here tonight. I loved reading it and I encourage everyone to do just that.

Thank you very much.

Lightning – launch remarks by the author

I wish to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting, the Ngunnawal people, and I pay my respects to their elders past and present. 

Thank you all so much for braving a cold Canberra evening to share this celebration with me. 

I’m conscious as I stand here with Lightning finally in its beautiful published iteration, of the enormous debt of gratitude I owe to many of the people in this room and to a number who are not able to be present. So I hope you’ll indulge me as I offer some words of thanks to the various people who have supported this book to publication, and its launch, and who have encouraged me through what at times has felt like the longest gestation in publishing history.

Ernest Hemingway famously said, “There is nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”  

Perhaps the rejoinder to that is, “There is nothing to being the friend of someone who is writing.  All you do is stand close by with a packet of bandaids and, as you apply them, recall that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”  There have been many bandaid bearers during the writing of Lightning, too many to name individually, but I am grateful for every palliative word I received, all the kind and supportive encouragement when perhaps it wasn’t even obvious that I was bleeding.

Foremost tonight, though, my heartfelt thanks to the Chief Minister for making time in her extraordinarily busy schedule to launch Lightning and to  speak with such warmth about my novel.  I am also indebted to the ACT Government broadly for its assistance through the artsACT grant program.  In 2009, as the Chief Minister has noted, I was fortunate to be the recipient of a grant that enabled me to undertake a road trip through to Central Australia, which tracked the journey of my protagonists, Persia and Ahmed, and which frames the contemporary narrative in Lightning.  That research proved crucial in shaping my novel and establishing layers and themes that would otherwise be absent.  

Importantly too, the confidence expressed in Lightning by the ACT Government through the grant, opened other doors for me, certainly making the manuscript a more compelling prospect to both my agent and my publisher.

So my profound thanks, Chief Minister, to you and to the ACT Government.

The award of a residential writing fellowship at Varuna, The Writers House, in the Blue Mountains was also a godsend.  It provided me with both a quiet place for intensive writing, and access to a nurturing community of writers some of whom are present tonight.  I particularly wish to acknowledge the support of Peter Bishop, formerly Creative Director of Varuna. He, along with George Allez, my Wisconsin-based BFF and writing buddy, were chief among my bandaid-bearers.

And this evening, I am especially grateful to the National Library of Australia — to the Director General of the library for welcoming us all here and to Maureen Brooks and her team who in a busy period have graciously managed all the preparations for the launch, including accommodating this heart-warmingly large turnout of friends, well-wishers and Canberra’s reading community. 

I was keen to launch Lightning at the National Library because a significant proportion of my book was written and edited here, in the Main Reading Room, as I sought refuge in the communal creative energy which is the spirit of this building, escaping from the sometimes oppressive isolation of working at home.  For as Hemingway also said, “Writing at its best is a lonely life.” Tonight, therefore, is the closing of a circle in this place, and I’m delighted to be in such good company inside the circle. 

Among this gathering, I would like to acknowledge my dear friend Denise Grieshaber who has travelled from Alice Springs for the launch and who accompanied me on my research trip to Central Australia in 2009, a trip which I now regard fondly as the “Thelma and Louise’ road trip.  David Freeman has flown in from Brisbane – thanks Mr Squiggle. The Jenkinson family has driven from Sydney to be here.  And serendipity has prevailed to enable Christine Stevens to join the launch en route from South Australia to her home in Sydney.  Christine’s book,  Tin Mosques and Ghantowns, a History of Afghan Cameldrivers in Australia , was an indispensible reference as I wrote Lightning.  Thank you, Christine and husband Andrew, for detouring via Canberra.

Lightning contains a list of acknowledgements that is almost a chapter in its own right and probably made the typesetter’s eyes roll.  But there were a few omissions:

Alan Walsh has worked generously and patiently to set up my website.  And he and his wife Helene endured my discomfort with the camera to take author photographs for me.

I also wish to acknowledge my daytime employer, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and specifically my boss, Penny Williams, who unhesitatingly supported arrangements that have enabled me to juggle my DFAT career and my writing life.  

The experience of working for the department has provided valuable perspectives which pervaded the writing of Lightning.   My diplomatic postings in Bangladesh and Laos were a springboard into the exploration of self when far from home, and a useful vantage point from which to view Australia’s complex national identity.  In fact, the only constraint DFAT may have presented to my writing career is that I was never going to be able to publish a book titled, “We need to talk about Kevin” or rather, “We need to talk about Kevin — again”.

Finally, in this long list of thank yous, my sincere gratitude to my agent Gaby Naher, and the publishing team at Picador led by Alex Craig.  I couldn’t have hoped for a more enthusiastic agent or a more supportive publisher.

I have been asked during recent media interviews about my book, ‘What was the genesis of Lightning?’  It’s as tough a question as its sister query, “What is your novel about?”  The simple response to the latter is, of course, if I could describe my book in a couple of sentences, I wouldn’t have had to write a novel.  

And then the necessary follow on — at one level, Lightning is the tale of two people — Persia, a grieving mother, and Ahmed, a refugee fleeing his past in Pakistan — both of whom have suffered extraordinary losses and who discover in each other the healing of shared tenderness. More broadly, the book is an odyssey — across continents and centuries -—that explores grief, identity and connection.  It’s a road trip novel, a love story of sorts, and a meditation on finding hope in the rubble of our lives. It’s a story about the importance of names and being named, about names shaping our destinies and anchoring us. 

It’s a depiction of the challenge of our journeys through dry and unforgiving landscapes, but it’s also a reminder of the possibility of rebirth and regeneration even in these most arid places of our living.  It’s a salute to the restorative properties of imagination and a reminder that, like Scheherazade and her Arabian Nights tales, it is our stories and their telling that keep us alive.  Certainly, that was my experience during the writing, when multiple griefs inhabited my own life, including the unexpected death of my father, Noel Volk, to whom the novel is dedicated.

But where did Lightning come from? 

I have no answer for that one.  Writing it was like buying one of those packets of flower seeds titled “Accent on Blue” or “Accent on Yellow” from the Yates stand in the garden centre.  You open the sleeve and cast the seeds on the soil not knowing what specifically you’re planting but simply trusting the palette of what will sprout and eventually blossom, given sufficient light, water, warmth and, in my case, a lot of time.

One of those seeds was sown on January the 18th 2003, when from our family home in the heights of Kambah, with a three year old and an eighteen month old at my feet, and with their father on the roof filling gutters with water, I watched fire sweep in across the Brindabellas and the sky darken as if it was night.  Some years later that seed, those fires became the starting point for Lightning.

A neat ten years down the track from 2003, it’s somewhat surreal, though in the loveliest of ways, to be here celebrating so publicly the arrival of my third baby, in many respects a much more difficult birth than the first two which delivered me my darling daughters, Bella and Poppy.  I can’t describe how fulfilling it is to get to this point, and to be able to share it with friends. 

So, once again, thank you all for joining this christening party.

I have spoken far too long and it’s time to let Lightning speak for itself.  

How to Turn Your Book Into a Speech: A Rolling Stone’s Guide

You did it. You had an idea and you turned it into a book. But now that idea is still sitting in your head and you want to turn your book into a speech.

How do you take 50-100k words and convert them into a speech without lulling listeners to sleep?

It starts with what you choose to share.

You decided to convert your idea into the form of a book for a reason. Hopefully one of the big reasons was because book form was one of the best ways to communicate your idea.

That said, the stage is an extremely helpful platform for communicating. Communicating in person can reach audiences in ways books simply can’t. So, whether you plan to present your speech live on a literal stage or online, knowing what to present from your book and how to present it is crucial.

Let’s start with why.

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This guide on how to turn your book into a speech covers:

Why you should turn your book into a speech

• Gaining a platform for marketing
• Getting invited to podcasts

How to turn your book into a speech

Present extemporaneously.

• Final remarks

If you want to be a successful author today, some form of public speaking is usually crucial. Gone are the days when authors sat alone at their desks, writing by candlelight, mailing their finished book to the publisher, only to go back and do it again.

Readers want to know the author whose work they love so much. And while it’s pretty much impossible to personally connect with every reader, public speaking allows you to connect with many readers at once.

The good news is, if you’ve come to this article, you likely enjoy speaking to readers and sharing your story with them in real time.

1. A platform for marketing

Public speaking isn’t just a way to connect with readers. It’s also an amazing marketing tool . 

Books can only communicate via the words on the page. When you present your story via speaking, you get the added benefit of inflection, vocal pauses, rapid speaking, or slowing down for effect. All of these are vital parts of communication that it’s difficult, and often impossible, to get on the page.

Speaking not only markets your book, but it also markets you, the author. When you present your story on stage, you are the medium in which it is presented. 

The audience looks at your story idea through you, the speaker. And speaking is personal. The audience can see your excitement about a particular illustration and feel your passion for the topic. 

Public speaking is a way to connect with individuals in real time and in real space…and true connection is one of the most organic and time-tested methods for successful marketing.

Speaking is an easy way to create soundbites or graphics for social media marketing . 

Share fifteen seconds of your speech on your Instagram story , create an IGTV video, or throw a quote onto an image of you speaking and post it to your grid.

If you plan to have a Q&A session following your speech, consider going live on Instagram and inviting people to send in questions regarding the topic of your speech. This 1) engages your followers and 2) provides you with a frame of reference for the type of questions that may be asked.

You could also convert your speech into a blog. Cover the main points of your speech in text format. Bold the quotes you want readers to takeaway and create a “click to tweet” option within the post.

2. Your invitation to podcasts

While in-person gatherings are much more common now than during recent times in the past, podcasts are a great way to conduct virtual speaking engagements. Podcasts are also extremely convenient for your busy followers because it enables them to listen on the go.

While podcasts are known for being audio only, sometimes podcast hosts upload the visual recording to YouTube. Keep this in mind as you present your speech. 

When it comes to connecting with your audience, your nonverbal communication is as important as your verbal communication. 

Good nonverbals could land you that next speaking gig or that podcast. 

Small things like healthy posture and hand gestures that contribute, rather than distract, from your speech go a long way.

Avoid keeping your hands in your pockets, swinging your arms without intention, and shuffling across the stage. Make purposeful hand movements and when you walk away from the podium, be careful not to meander across the stage. 

Make eye contact with audience members on one side of the stage, then move back to the podium for a few sentences before moving to the other side and connecting with the audience there.

Purposeful movement can elevate your speech and go a long way in helping secure future bookings. 

Now that we’ve covered why you should turn your book into a speech, here’s the crucial next step: 

If you wrote a nonfiction book and have a book proposal , you will have already created a chapter by chapter outline. This is a great starting point.

If you’re turning your fiction book into a speech (maybe on the theme of your novel) your synopsis is a helpful place to begin.

Once you have your chapter by chapter outline or your synopsis in front of you…

Decide what specific parts of your book either 1) have the biggest message or 2) will create the largest impact.

A helpful way to do this is to simply print out your outline/synopsis or paste it into a blank document where you can cross out or delete any aspects that don’t answer the above questions. 

Remember: It’s crucial to know who you will be speaking to, or if you’re presenting online, who you’re targeting your speech for.

One of your chapters may resonate with a particular audience, but not another. If you’ve been asked to speak at a particular event, do your research so you have a good grasp on who your audience will be. This will save you time in preparing and also help ensure your speech is geared toward the individuals who will fill the seats.

Now that you know your audience and have cut any parts of your book that don’t apply to them, take it a step further: 

Cut the good illustrations, present the great illustrations.

If you’re talking to teenagers, illustrating your speech with how you demonstrated persistence by getting into grad school will probably fly right over their heads. 

Illustrating persistence with completing homework, taking college placement tests, or passing a driver’s training test will resonate much more deeply.

While there are a myriad of ways to present yourself onstage, speaking extemporaneously will help you connect with your audience on a much more personal level.

Written speeches are sometimes most appropriate for big events such as graduation ceremonies, weddings, funerals, and other such gatherings. However, reading from a transcript minimizes your ability to connect with the audience in the moment.

If a particular point makes the audience laugh, your main option for connecting with them is to smile, perhaps laugh with them, and then continue with your written speech.

If you’re speaking extemporaneously, you give yourself the option of adding a sentence or two of extra context and making yourself that much more relatable to your audience.

Memorizing your speech is a second option, but if you struggle at all with stage fright, you put yourself at risk of forgetting a sentence. If you forget a sentence, it will likely be difficult to find your place again and continue smoothly. Speeches that are memorized are also difficult to deliver in a way that feels genuine and not rehearsed. They are, after all, memorized. 

If at all possible, write a bullet-point outline of what you plan to discuss.

Please note: You may want to write out your first and last sentence. This is the one exception in extemporaneous speeches. Memorizing your opening and closing sentences allows you to deliver a stammer-free, standout fist and last line, maintain eye contact with the audience, and create an unforgettable closing.

The length of your speech will determine the amount of points and duration you spend on them, so outline in a way that best fits your particular situation.

Speaking extemporaneously allows you to react with the audience, spend more time on points they seem to really resonate with, and brush over points that may not land as well.

Final remarks for writers turned speaker

Before stepping on stage, remember, you wrote an entire book on this topic. You know it inside and out. Be yourself. All you’re doing is sharing your story with a room of people who want to hear it.

You’ve got this.

Take a deep breath…and simply start the conversation.

Your book is coming alive in real time. 

You get to see your readers’ reactions. 

You’re all together on this journey. 

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Table of Contents

How to think about your audience

Pre-launch checklist, launch day checklist, launch week checklist, what to do after launch week, how to successfully launch a book in 2024 (with checklist).

For the right readers , your book will be life-changing.

No matter what year it is or what’s happening in the world or what the newest marketing craze is, your book launch has only one real goal:

Your book launch is about reaching the readers who will benefit the most from your book.

Why? Because those are the readers who will be excited about it. They’re the ones who will talk about it, review it, and share it. Those readers are the key to getting your book the attention it deserves.

Cool new marketing hacks and paid advertising have their place, but word-of-mouth advertising from your own readers is the best—and most effective—advertising you can ask for.

That’s why the most successful book launches target the readers who will get the most out of reading the book and ignore everyone else.

In fact, your entire book launch , including the months leading up to it, is about serving your book— by trying to reach a critical mass within your target audience to spark that word-of-mouth advertising.

If you do that well, the formula flips after the launch, and your book will start serving you . It will get people talking about you and calling you. They’ll understand that you’re the person they need.

That’s why the work you put into a book launch is so crucial: it sets you and your book up for success.

I’ve organized this book launch marketing plan into 3 chronological stages. I’ve also put together a checklist you can download for yourself .

Remember: your book launch is about reaching people who will share your book. This will help you grow your audience even more.

To do that, you need to give your book as much of a boost as you can during the first week of the launch. This is especially true on Amazon , where reviews and early sales have a big effect on your book’s rank and future sales potential.

With that in mind, the people you’re trying to reach during your launch fall into 3 categories:

• A list of 30-50 friends and family you can count on to review the book
• Your most avid fans/friends/clients/supporters who will go above and beyond for you and your book
• Potential readers who will buy (and, hopefully, review ) your book

You may think you don’t have 30-50 friends and family who will review your book, but you do.

Think about the people you went to school with. Colleagues you’ve worked with. Clients you’ve helped.

Look through every contact in your phone. And on LinkedIn. Consider the people who interact with you most often on social media.

Think about your spouse’s network, too. Or your parents’ networks. Your grown children’s networks. Your best friends’ networks.

Don’t give up. They’re out there.

As for the final category—potential readers who will buy and hopefully review your book—think about who they are and where you can find them.

What media do they read or watch? What podcasts do they listen to? What influencers are important to them?

Start thinking about this early. These questions will inform the decisions you’ll have to make about your launch.

How to Run a Successful Book Launch

These are all the things you need to do before the day your book launches.

Be sure to give yourself enough time to get them all done. You’ll need at least 6 weeks just to do the bare minimum , and that’s cutting it close. You’ll be able to do a lot more if you start a few months in advance of your launch date.

Read through the whole list before you do anything. Some of the timing can change based on other events that might or might not happen leading up to the launch.

1. Set the price of your eBook to $0.99

For many Authors, setting a launch price of $0.99 feels counterintuitive. The book is brand new, and it feels like the book should be valued much higher. But there’s a difference between the regular list price and the launch price.

Your list price is an entirely different question that I’ve explored in detail in a separate post on book pricing .

Your launch price is about pushing book sales. A launch price of $0.99 boosts sales in 2 ways:

• Encourages sales through a low price point
• Lets you sign up for promotional newsletters

You can use a low price and promotional newsletters to boost sales during your book’s launch week.

If you’ve chosen your Amazon categories well, boosting sales during that first week can bump your book’s Amazon rank within those categories.

Why does that matter? Because Amazon’s algorithm rewards a strong launch by promoting your book and suggesting it to new people.

I can’t stress enough how important that is:

High sales on Amazon during a book’s first week will make Amazon start marketing your book for you.

A strong book launch will make Amazon:

• List your book higher in its categories … so more people see it
• List your book higher in keyword search results … so more people see it
• Include your book on its bestseller lists … so more people see it
• Email your book to potential new readers … so more people see it

See the pattern? Amazon is fantastic at selling books. The system recognizes a book that’s doing well and pushes it to new readers.

That boost can keep your book selling well long after you’ve stopped putting any effort into marketing .

And the more people who buy it, the more people there are to read it, love it, and tell other readers about it.

2. Set up any paid launch day promotions

Book promotion email lists.

There are several promotional lists that will send book deals out to their email subscribers.

Set these up to begin the day of your launch, and make sure they run through at least the first week. But know that you’ll have to sign up for them well in advance of your launch date.

BookBub is by far the best, and it has one of the longest lead times. It’s a paid service, but it’s worth it.

To read more about promotional lists that are worth applying for, read my post on the research Scribe did on promotional sites for nonfiction book sales.

Amazon’s sponsored ads tend to convert well. Those are the ads you see when you’re browsing through books on Amazon. The system offers you a list of sponsored books that are related to whatever you were looking for.

You might lose money on ads during launch week when your book is only $0.99, but they can really boost sales if you choose your keywords well.

After the launch week is over and your book goes back to its full list price, you should be able to get a positive ROI with at least a few of your keywords. Once you do, you can leave those ads running all the time and add to your keywords as you find new ones that work.

3. Alert your friends & family audience (for Amazon reviews)

This is where your friends-and-family list comes into play. Separate your list into the two I mentioned above:

• 30-50 friends and family you can count on to review the book
• A core list of your most avid supporters who will review your book and more

Group 1 is all about Amazon reviews. Anything else they happen to do for you is great, but the key is getting those reviews .

Along with high sales, Amazon rewards books with significant numbers of reviews. So the more reviews you can get in your first week, the better.

Ideally, you’ll be in touch with these people throughout the writing process so they can get excited with you over time. About a month before the book comes out, send them an advance copy and let them know you’ll be asking them for a review on Amazon on launch day.

Remember: never pay for Amazon reviews. It’s against Amazon’s review policies .

That said, sending an advance copy of a book does not count as payment. If you happen to have more than 50 people you can count on to review the book, feel free to send out as many advance copies as you want.

Almost anyone can review a book on Amazon, even if they didn’t buy the book, as long as their account is active enough to meet Amazon’s conditions.

4. Organize your core team (for Amazon reviews & more)

That core list of people who would go the extra mile for your book? You’ll want to go the extra mile for them, too.

These are the people you can count on to do more than leave a review on Amazon. They’ll also promote the book on social media, talk about it with their friends, recommend it to their own clients, and help you get the word out.

Who are they?

For most Authors, they’re a combination of close friends & family and clients who love your work.

Your core team should get an advance copy of your book, just like your general friends & family group. But you’ll also want to consider inviting them to a private Facebook group, giving them insider content, or finding other ways to turn them into a community and show them your appreciation.

On launch day, you’ll ask them to post their reviews and also do some extra things to spread the word, such as:

• Write LinkedIn articles
• Share social media posts
• Send emails to people they think would benefit from your book

5. Cultivate high-value relationships

What are high-value relationships? They include:

• Influencers and bloggers
• People who run relevant groups or organizations
• People with podcasts whose listeners fall in your target audience
• People with targeted emails lists that would be interested in your book
• Anyone else who can help you spread your reach beyond your own contact list

At a bare minimum, cultivate these relationships and send them an advance copy of your book one month before it comes out.

If you’re looking specifically for blurbs to promote your book, you’ll want to do that as early as possible.

When you ask for their help, make sure your ask is specific:

• A tweet on launch day
• A LinkedIn article
• A podcast interview
• A review on their own blog
• A blurb for your book

You’re going to have a lot to do on launch day, so write those follow-up emails ahead of time—reminding them of the ask and letting them know it’s time—and have those ready to go.

6. Reach out to media

Think about your core audience and ask yourself where they’re consuming their media.

Is there a segment on a local radio show that they might follow? What about blogs they might read regularly or newsletters from professional associations?

Reach out to the people who curate the content for these media, and let them know about your book. In your letter, tell them exactly why their readers, listeners, or viewers will find your book interesting.

I’ve written a whole post about getting endorsements . You can also join our free Scribe courses to learn more about making these media connections.

Again, write any follow-up emails ahead of time so they’ll be ready to send according to your launch plan schedule.

7. Grow your wider audience

For this step, it’s time to turn to your book-buying audience—people who would benefit from buying and reading your book.

There are many ways to grow this audience. Here are just a few examples:

• Provide lead magnets on your website to grow your email list
• Add people on LinkedIn
• Post shareable content on social media
• Make Facebook Live appearances
• Start an author blog or podcast
• Offer behind-the-scenes info, webinars, or other related content

But you don’t have to do any of that.

You can do all of it or none of it. Or something else entirely.

When it comes to your audience, your core team is the most critical part of your book launch plan. Everything else is extra.

If you’re on social media or LinkedIn, remember to post about your book before and on launch day.

If you have an email list, have your launch day newsletter ready to go ahead of time.

8. Goodreads giveaways

Goodreads giveaways aren’t nearly as important in building Amazon reviews as your core team or your friends & family.

They should be considered highly optional , but they can bump your reviews a bit if you put enough into them.

These giveaways are just what they sound like: giving copies of your book away on Goodreads. It’s a paid service, but at least the Kindle copies themselves are free (because Amazon owns Goodreads).

A Goodreads giveaway can build general awareness of your book. It can also (possibly) gather some extra reviews on Amazon during that critical first week.

The more copies you give away, the more people might read it and leave a review. But be aware: only a small portion of Goodreads giveaway winners actually leave reviews, and only a small portion of those also bother to post on Amazon.

So these returns diminish rapidly.

To maximize this opportunity, end the giveaway (and send the books) just a week or two before launch day to give readers time to read the book.

Why shouldn’t you do this earlier? Because Amazon will only let people leave reviews for your book on or after launch day, not before.

If readers finish your book before they’re able to leave a review on Amazon, they aren’t likely to go back and leave one later.

If you’ve done everything right, you’ll have a lot to do on launch day , but your emails and newsletters will be ready to go.

1. Email your friends & family list for those Amazon reviews

Send your friends and family the launch day email you prepared ahead of time. Let them know that the book is now live on Amazon . Be sure to ask them specifically to leave that review.

2. Ask your core team for their Amazon reviews & more

Ask your core team to post their own Amazon reviews as well as anything else you’ve asked them to do: social media posts, articles, blog posts, etc. 

Again, these emails should be ready to go, so it’s just a matter of sending them out. 

If you’ve been interacting with your core team through Facebook or some other social media , you’ll want to be especially active on launch day .

3. Follow up with those high-value relationships

Remember to follow up with your high-value relationships.

This is a category with a variety of deadlines based on who is doing what, and when. 

Most of your blurbs, for example, should be in by now. Send reminders to anyone who promised to post a launch day blog post or article. Podcasts should already be scheduled.

And, this should go without saying, but be sure to say thank you. A little gratitude goes a long way.

4. Follow up with your media contacts

Everything I said about high-value relationships goes for your media contacts too. Especially the part about saying thank you.

It’s not just about being polite. Media contacts often need people for quotes and other source material. Make sure they know that you’re grateful for their help and that you’re available if they need you.

The more reporters want to contact you as an expert in your book’s topic, the better.

5. Contact your newsletter/email list

Remember: your email list is different from your friends & family list. If you don’t have a general email list , that’s fine. You don’t need one for a successful launch.

But if you do have an email list , remember to send that newsletter on launch day .

6. LinkedIn & social media posts

Again, social media is completely optional. But if you’ve built up a social media audience on any platform, including LinkedIn, remember to post about your book on launch day .

Throughout the rest of your book’s first week, there are a few places where it’s worth following up to make sure your launch is as successful as possible.

1. Send a follow-up email to friends & family

For anyone on your friends & family list who hasn’t left a review, remind them again in the middle of the week. Remember, the more reviews you can get during that first week, the better.

2. Send a follow-up newsletter with early reviews

If everything goes well, you’ll have a whole slew of reviews come in over the first day or two.

If you’ve built up an email list, gather the best quotes from influencers, media coverage, and Amazon. Send another newsletter a few days into launch week that includes those rave reviews.

3. Post rave reviews on social media

Post those same rave reviews on LinkedIn and any other social media where you have a following.

If you think that feels too much like bragging, it isn’t. It’s about reaching the people who will benefit from your book.

The more of those people who see your book, the more people your book can help.

Remember: launch week was all about serving your book.

After launch week, the best thing about self-publishing is that the formula flips.

Now, it’s time for your book to serve you.

If you’re looking for ways to make that happen, browse through these success stories of other self-published Authors for ideas. Or read my post on how to make money from your book.

The Scribe Crew

Read this next.

Authors don’t sell books—readers do.

3 Secrets to Writing a Book People Can’t Stop Recommending

What to Do (and Not Do) in a Book Launch Social Media Campaign

How to Write a Book Launch Press Release by Jack Murray

Jack Murray

• 11 March 2019

Let’s be honest, nobody sets out to write a bland book, so why would you want a lukewarm book launch?

In order to achieve that best-seller status you’ll need to create a buzz around your book launch.

One over-looked yet effective tool in generating publicity is the humble press release. Those that say the press release is dead clearly are doing it wrong.

So here’s how to do it right.

No the launch of your book alone is not news in the eyes of the media, so make it newsworthy. Identify a time or trend that your book can feed in to. Is it part of a vampire-loving trend among teens? Does it feed in to the current commemorative spirit? Are you an expert amongst those on a health buzz? Think about what trends and timings make your book launch news worthy.

The News Test

It is a good idea to apply this simple test to check the newsworthiness of all your potential stories. Here is the news test:

Timing: Make sure your story is fresh enough for the media in which you want to place it.

Angles: Have you looked behind the facts and come up with the most interesting and newsworthy angles for journalists to pursue?

Reader Interest: Will your story prompt action or comment among readers?

News Diary: Ensure it will not be fighting For space with other similar news on the day you release it.

Topicality: Watch for other news stories or events which might add value to your story. They might make you rethink your news angles and add a crucial hook to your own story that will push it onto the front page.

Once you have your news peg it’s time to think up an amazing headline. Your headline will be the email subject line and will be the text for some of your tweets so it has to be clickable. Try to incorporate the news element into the headline to entice journalists in.

Introduction

The first 20-25 are the most important you need to answer the 5 W’s and the H- The who, what, when, where, why and how.  If you think of your release as an inverted pyramid – the meatiest information at the top, so journalists can read it quickly and cut off the end of the release if time and space doesn’t allow for it. Make it easy for the media and you are on to a winner.

A Good Media Release Keeps the Fog Index in Mind

The Gunning Fog Index is about sentence length. Based on an observation of the pattern of attention given by readers to printed material, it suggests that the longer a sentence, the thicker the fog which the reader has to get through to get to the message.

8-10 word sentences are clear and easy to understand.

10-15 word sentences are slightly less clear and easy to understand.

15-25 word sentences can mean the fog is thickening.

25+ can mean the sentence is impenetrable

Keep sentences short and concise. Break up longer sentences to maintain clarity.

Let’s hope you didn’t use up all that creativity on your book. Once you get all the important information out, it’s time to craft a story. Explain why you were compelled to write the book, how long did it take you, were there setbacks along the way. This will give context and give the reader a sense of who you are.

Including quotes in your release will not only add context to your release, it will also add personality. If you are sending your release yourself include a quote from your editor or a book reviewer. If someone else is issuing your release then why not give a quote yourself to further add to the story element.

Housekeeping

Always use 1.5 line spacing for media releases.

Type ‘Media Release’ in 36 point Times New Roman or other well used font.

Type headline in 14 point Times New Roman.

Type sub heads in 14 point Italics Times New Roman.

Type main text in 12 point Times New Roman.

Always type the headline of the media release in the subject line of the email.

Always type the main text of the media release in the body of the email

NEVER attach a media release to an email – it won’t be read.

Always include the date on the top of the release in at least 12-point bold text.

It is important that the recipient of the release knows where it finishes. Putting ENDS in the middle of the line after you have finished, but before you put in the source.

Extra information

Make sure to have an ‘About the Author’ section and include a media kit with your image, an image of the book a short biography on you as a writer and a one page description of the book itself, a positive review is a plus.

Make it social

You need to add some social sauce to your release, think up possible tweets to promote the launch, why not run a Twitter Q&A for bookworms and fans, have a Facebook promotion to win signed copies. Your launch will get far more publicity and visibility if you are actively promoting it online.

Things to remember

Between 10.30 and 11.00 on a weekday is a good time to send out a national release. Never after 1pm unless it is big or breaking news.

Sunday or Monday is a good time to release to national newspapers.

Saturday is the worst time in the week to send out a media release.

Establish local newspaper and radio deadlines; ensure that your release is finalised well in advance of the deadline.

Important radio times are; early weekday evenings (3pm and 4pm) and Saturdays and Sundays.

Establish which local radio programmes involve discussion of arts/current affairs/subject areas that your book touches on. Target media releases at these as well as at the news bulletins.

Always send your piece to a particular person.  Ensure it has been received by following up each submission with a call to them.

Always ring the local radio station and offer yourself for interview. Don’t wait for them to come to you.

(c) Jack Murray

Jack Murray is CEO and Founder of MediaHQ.com – Ireland’s most comprehensive media directory offering an invalubale tailor-made press release service. Search the directory, build lists, send your release and share online.

If you need to send a press release anytime soon, pop your details in here and MediaHQ will get in touch!

About the author

Jack Murray is CEO and Founder of MediaHQ.com – Ireland’s most comprehensive media directory. Search the directory, build lists, send your release and share online.

MediaHQ also offers bespoke training services on media training, messaging, communications strategy and PR.

Connect with Jack on LinkedIn here . Or give him a call on 01 4732050.

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How to Start a Speech: 7 Tips and Examples for a Captivating Opening

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 12, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

1. Choosing the Right Opening Line

Finding the perfect opening line for your speech is important in grabbing your audience’s attention. A strong opening line sets the stage for the points you want to make and helps you establish a connection with your listeners.

1. Start with a question

Engage your audience from the very beginning by asking them a thought-provoking question related to your topic. This approach encourages them to think, and it can create a sense of anticipation about what’s coming next.

• “Have you ever wondered how much time we spend on our phones every day?”

2. Share a personal story

A relatable personal story can create an emotional connection with your audience. Make sure your story is short, relevant to your speech, and ends with a clear point.

• “When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me that every kind deed we do plants a seed of goodness in the world. It was this philosophy that inspired me to start volunteering.”

3. Use a quote or a statistic

Incorporate a powerful quote or an intriguing statistic at the outset of your speech to engage your audience and provide context for your topic.

• “As the great Maya Angelou once said, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'”

4. Make them laugh

Injecting a little humor into your opening line puts everyone at ease and makes your speech more memorable. Just make sure your joke is relevant and doesn’t offend your audience.

• “They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, forget the fruit!”

5. Paint a mental picture

Draw your audience in by describing a vivid scene or painting an illustration in their minds. This creates an immersive experience that makes it easier for your audience to follow your speech.

• “Picture this: you’re walking down the beach, and you look out on the horizon. The sun is setting, and the sky is a breathtaking canvas of reds, oranges, and pinks.”

2. Using a Personal Story

Sharing a personal story can be a highly effective way to engage your audience from the very beginning of your speech. When you open your talk with a powerful, relatable story, it helps create an emotional connection with your listeners, making them more invested in what you have to say.

Think about an experience from your life that is relevant to the topic of your speech. Your story doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic, but it should be clear and vivid. Include enough detail to paint a picture in your audience’s minds, but keep it concise and on point.

The key to successfully using a personal story is to make it relatable. Choose a situation that your audience can empathize with or easily understand. For example, if you’re giving a speech about overcoming adversity, you could talk about a time where you faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge and overcame it.

Make sure to connect your story to the main point or theme of your speech. After sharing your experience, explain how it relates to the topic at hand, and let your audience see the relevance to their own lives. This will make your speech more impactful and show your listeners why your personal story holds meaning.

3. Making a Shocking Statement

Starting your speech with a shocking statement can instantly grab your audience’s attention. This technique works especially well when your speech topic relates to a hot-button issue or a controversial subject. Just make sure that the statement is relevant and true, as false claims may damage your credibility.

For example, “Believe it or not, 90% of startups fail during their first five years in the market.” This statement might surprise your listeners and make them more receptive to your ideas on how to avoid pitfalls and foster a successful business.

So next time you’re crafting a speech, consider opening with a powerful shocking statement. It could be just the thing to get your audience sitting up and paying full attention. (Try to keep your shocking statement relevant to your speech topic and factual to enhance your credibility.)

4. Using Humor

Humor can be an excellent way to break the ice and grab your audience’s attention. Opening your speech with a funny story or a joke can make a memorable first impression. Just be sure to keep it relevant to your topic and audience.

A good joke can set a light-hearted tone, lead into the importance of effective time management, and get your audience engaged from the start.

When using humor in your speech, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Be relatable: Choose a story or joke that your audience can easily relate to. It will be more engaging and connect your listeners to your message.
• Keep it appropriate: Make sure the humor fits the occasion and audience. Stay away from controversial topics and avoid offending any particular group.
• Practice your delivery: Timing and delivery are essential when telling a joke. Practice saying it out loud and adjust your pacing and tone of voice to ensure your audience gets the joke.
• Go with the flow: If your joke flops or doesn’t get the reaction you were hoping for, don’t panic or apologize. Simply move on to the next part of your speech smoothly, and don’t let it shake your confidence.
• Don’t overdo it: While humor can be useful in capturing your audience’s attention, remember that you’re not a stand-up comedian. Use it sparingly and focus on getting your message across clearly and effectively.

5. Incorporating a Quote

When you want to start your speech with a powerful quote, ensure that the quote is relevant to your topic. Choose a quote from a credible source, such as a famous historical figure, a well-known author, or a respected expert in your field. This will not only grab your audience’s attention but also establish your speech’s credibility.

For example, if you’re giving a speech about resilience, you might use this quote by Nelson Mandela: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Once you’ve found the perfect quote, integrate it smoothly into your speech’s introduction. You can briefly introduce the source of the quote, providing context for why their words are significant. For example:

Nelson Mandela, an inspirational leader known for his perseverance, once said: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

When you’re incorporating a quote in your speech, practice your delivery to ensure it has the intended impact. Focus on your tone, pace, and pronunciation. By doing so, you can convey the quote’s meaning effectively and connect with your audience emotionally.

Connect the quote to your main points by briefly explaining how it relates to the subject matter of your speech. By creating a natural transition from the quote to your topic, you can maintain your audience’s interest and set the stage for a compelling speech.

In our resilience example, this could look like:

“This quote by Mandela beautifully illustrates the power of resilience. Today, I want to share with you some stories of remarkable individuals who, like Mandela, overcame obstacles and rose every time they fell. Through their experiences, we might learn how to cultivate our own resilience and make the most of life’s challenges.”

6. Starting with a Question

Opening your speech with a question can be a great way to engage your audience from the start. This strategy encourages your listeners to think and become active participants in your presentation. Your opening question should be related to your core message, sparking their curiosity, and setting the stage for the following content. Here are a few examples:

• For a motivational speech : “Have you ever wondered what you would do if you couldn’t fail?”
• For a business presentation : “What’s the biggest challenge your team faces daily, and how can we overcome it?”
• For an educational talk : “How does the way we use technology today impact the future of our society?”

When choosing the right starting question, consider your audience. You want to ask something that is relevant to their experiences and interests. The question should be interesting enough to draw their attention and resonate with their emotions. For instance, if you’re presenting to a group of entrepreneurs, gear your question towards entrepreneurship, and so on.

To boost your question’s impact, consider using rhetorical questions. These don’t require a verbal response, but get your audience thinking about their experiences or opinions. Here’s an example:

• For an environmental speech : “What kind of world do we want to leave for our children?”

After posing your question, take a moment to let it sink in, and gauge the audience’s reaction. You can also use a brief pause to give the listeners time to think about their answers before moving on with your speech.

7. Acknowledging the Occasion

When starting a speech, you can acknowledge the occasion that brought everyone together. This helps create a connection with your audience and sets the stage for the rest of your speech. Make sure to mention the event name, its purpose, and any relevant individuals or groups you would like to thank for organizing it. For example:

“Hello everyone, and welcome to the 10th annual Charity Gala Dinner. I’m truly grateful to the fundraising committee for inviting me to speak tonight.”

After addressing the event itself, include a brief personal touch to show your connection with the topic or the audience. This helps the audience relate to you and gain interest in what you have to say. Here’s an example:

“As a long-time supporter of this cause, I am honored to share my thoughts on how we can continue making a difference in our community.”

Next, give a brief overview of your speech so the audience knows what to expect. This sets the context and helps them follow your points. You could say something like:

“Tonight, I’ll be sharing my experiences volunteering at the local food bank and discussing the impact of your generous donations.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective opening lines for speeches.

A powerful opening line will grab your audience’s attention and set the stage for the rest of your speech. Some effective opening lines include:

• Start with a bold statement: “The world needs your creativity now more than ever.”
• Share a surprising fact: “Did you know that the average person spends (…) years of their life at work?”
• Pose a thought-provoking question: “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
• Tell a short, engaging story: “When I was 10 years old, I discovered my passion for baking in my grandmother’s kitchen.”

Can you provide examples of engaging introductions for speeches?

• Use humor: “As a kid, I believed that 7 pm bedtime was a form of torture. Now, as an adult, I find myself dreaming of 7 pm bedtime.”
• Share a personal experience: “On a trip to Italy, I found myself lost in the winding streets of a small village. It was there, amidst my confusion, that I stumbled upon the best gelato I’d ever tasted.”
• Use an analogy: “Starting a new business is like taking a journey into the unknown. There will be challenges to overcome, and you’ll need resilience, determination, and a strong compass.”

Which speech styles can make a powerful impact on the audience?

Different speech styles will resonate with different audiences. Some styles to consider include:

• Inspirational: Motivate your audience to take action or overcome challenges.
• Storytelling: Share personal experiences or anecdotes to illustrate your points and keep listeners engaged.
• Educational: Provide useful information and insights to help your audience learn or grow.
• Persuasive: Present a compelling argument to convince your audience to adopt a particular perspective or take specific action.

How do successful speakers establish a connection with their listeners?

Establishing a connection with your listeners is key to delivering an impactful speech. Some ways to connect with your audience include:

• Show empathy: Demonstrating understanding and concern for your audience’s feelings and experiences will generate a sense of trust and connection.
• Be relatable: Share personal stories or examples that allow your audience to see themselves in your experiences, thus making your speech more relatable.
• Keep it genuine: Avoid overrehearsing or coming across as scripted. Instead, strive for authenticity and flexibility in your delivery.
• Encourage participation: Engaging your audience through questions, activities, or conversation can help build rapport and make them feel more involved.

What are some techniques for maintaining a friendly and professional tone in speeches?

To maintain a friendly and professional tone in your speeches, consider these tips:

• Balance humor and seriousness: Use humor to lighten the mood and engage your audience, but make sure to also cover the serious points in your speech.
• Speak naturally: Use your everyday vocabulary and avoid jargon or overly formal language when possible.
• Show respect: Acknowledge differing opinions and experiences, and treat your audience with courtesy and fairness.
• Provide useful information: Offer valuable insights and solutions to your audience’s concerns, ensuring they leave your speech feeling more informed and empowered.
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in Leadership [Examples, Tips]
• Effective Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace (Examples)
• Empathy: Definition, Types, and Tips for Effective Practice
• How to Improve Key Communication Skills
• 38 Empathy Statements: Examples of Empathy
• What is Self Compassion? (Exercises, Methods, Examples)

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‘Run, Kamala, Run’: Mention of Harris’s Father Was a Rare Homage to a Fleeting Figure

In her convention speech, Kamala Harris told of being inspired by her father, a prominent economist who was otherwise largely a footnote in her personal story.

• Share full article

By Erica L. Green

Erica L. Green is a White House correspondent covering Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.

“Run, Kamala, run.”

When Dr. Donald J. Harris uttered those words to his young daughter more than 50 years ago, he was encouraging her to whip freely through the parks of Oakland, Calif., not seek the highest elected office in the country. But in her address accepting the nomination as the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris said it was these words that helped inspire her.

“From my earliest years, he taught me to be fearless,” Ms. Harris said.

It was a rare homage to her father, a prominent economist but fleeting figure in her life who has largely been a footnote in her personal and political story. The first Black scholar to receive tenure in Stanford University’s economics department, Dr. Harris remains a professor emeritus there, and turned 86 the day after his daughter gave the most important speech of her life at the Democratic National Convention. He was not among the family members who accompanied Ms. Harris to the convention.

Her relationship with her father is a closely guarded part of Ms. Harris’s life about which she has spoken only sparingly. Her 2019 memoir, “The Truths We Hold,” referenced him only a handful of times. But in presenting herself as a nominee who understands the American dream through the complex lenses of personal, familial and social struggles, Ms. Harris tapped into the totality of the experiences that forged her.

That included when her parents divorced — or, as she would write in her memoir, “they stopped being kind to each other”— when she was in elementary school.

“My father remained a part of our lives,” Ms. Harris wrote. “We would see him on weekends and spend summers with him in Palo Alto. But it was my mother who took charge of our upbringing. She was the one most responsible for shaping us into the women we would become.”

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